Patent ID: 6994857

Claim:
An albumin fusion protein comprising a member selected from the group consisting of: (a) a tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) protein and albumin, wherein albumin comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:18; (b) a (TIMP-1) protein and a fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:18, wherein said fragment has the ability to prolong the shelf-life of the (TIMP-1) protein compared to the shelf-life of the (TIMP-1) protein in an unfused state; (c) a (TIMP-1) protein and a fragment of the amino and sequence of SEQ ID NO:18, wherein said fragment has the ability to prolong the shelf-life of the (TIMP-1) protein compared to the shelf-life of the (TIMP-1) protein in an unfused state, and further wherein the said fragment comprises amino acid residues 1-387 of SEQ ID NO:18; (d) a fragment of a (TIMP-1) protein and albumin comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:18, wherein said fragment has a biological activity of the (TIMP-1) protein; (e) a (TIMP-1) protein, or fragment thereof and albumin, or fragment thereof, of (a) to (d), wherein the (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof is fused to the N-terminus of albumin or the N-terminus of the fragment of albumin; (f) a (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof, and albumin or fragment thereof, of (a) to (d), wherein the (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof, is fused to the C-terminus of albumin, or the C-terminus of the fragment of albumin; (g) a (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof, and albumin or fragment thereof, of (a) to (d), wherein the (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof, is fused to the N-terminus and C-terminus of albumin, or the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the fragment of albumin; (h) a (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof, and albumin or fragment thereof, of (a) to (d), which comprises a first (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof and a second (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof, wherein said first (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof is different from said second (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof; (i) a (TIMP-1) proten or fragment thereof, and albumin or fragment thereof, of (a) to (h), wherein the (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof, is separated from the albumin or the fragment of albumin by a linker; and (j) a (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof, and albumin or fragment thereof, of (a) to (i), wherein the (TIMP-1) protein or fragment thereof, wherein the albumin fusion protein has the following formula: R1-L-R2; R2-L-R1; or R1-L-R2-L-R1, and further wherein R1 is (TIMP-1) factor protein or fragment thereof, L is linker, and R2 is albumin comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:18 or a fragment of albumin.