Patent ID: 7423020

Claim:
A method of treating a mood disorder, the method comprising: administering to a subject in need thereof an amount effective to treat said mood disorder of at least one submandibular rat 1 protein (SMR1) peptide or modified SMR1 peptide that modulates the interaction between a mature peptide QHNPR (SEQ ID NO: 1) generated from the SMR1 and a metallopeptidase, wherein the SMR1 peptide comprises the peptide of SEQ ID NO: 1 and the modified SMR1 peptide comprises the sequence QHNPR (SEQ ID NO: 1) in which at least one L-amino acid has been replaced by a D-amino acid, and/or has been modified by at least one of the following: adding a protecting group to one or more amino acid side chains, adding a protecting group to NH2 or COOH groups, replacing one or more amine bonds with a non-amide bond, introducing one or more double bonds, introducing retroinversion or reduction isomers of the CO—NH amide bonds, methylating at least one amide, and conducting cyclization.