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  • A61K38/1709—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans from vertebrates from mammals
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  • C12N2770/00011—Details
  • C12N2770/12011—Astroviridae
  • C12N2770/12033—Use of viral protein as therapeutic agent other than vaccine, e.g. apoptosis inducing or anti-inflammatory

Definitions

• the invention relates generally to the field of therapeutic intervention in inflammatory and autoimmune disease. More specifically, the invention relates to peptide compounds that can regulate complement activation and can be used therapeutically in the prevention and treatment of complement-mediated diseases, such as inflammatory, autoimmune and pathogenic diseases.
• the complement system an essential component of the innate immune system, plays a critical role as a defense mechanism against invading pathogens, primes adaptive immune responses, and helps remove immune complexes and apoptotic cells.
• Three different pathways comprise the complement system: the classical pathway, the lectin pathway and alternative pathway.
• Clq and mannose-binding lectin (MBL) are the structurally related recognition molecules of the classical and lectin pathways, respectively. Whereas IgM or clustered IgG serve as the principal ligands for Clq, MBL recognizes polysaccharides such as mannan. Ligand binding by Clq and MBL results in the sequential activation of C4 and C2 to form the classical and lectin pathway C3-convertase.
• alternative pathway activation does not require a recognition molecule, but can amplify C3 activation initiated by the classical or lectin pathways. Activation of any of these three pathways results in the formation of inflammatory mediators (C3 and C5a) and the membrane attack complex (MAC), which causes cellular lysis.
• C3 and C5a inflammatory mediators
• MAC membrane attack complex
• complement regulators While the complement system is a vital host defense against pathogenic organisms, its unchecked activation can cause devastating host cell damage.
• autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, myasthenia gravis, and multiple sclerosis
• only two anti-complement therapies have recently been approved for use in humans: purified, human CI -Inhibitor licensed for use in patients suffering from hereditary angioedema (HAE) and Eculizumab/Solaris, a humanized, long-acting monoclonal antibody against C5 used in the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)
• HAE hereditary angioedema
• PNH paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
• Both PNH and HAE are orphan diseases in which very few people are afflicted; currently no complement regulators are approved for the more common disease processes in which dysregulated complement activation plays a pivotal role.
• the Astroviridae constitute a family of non-enveloped, icosahedral viruses with a single-stranded, messenger-sense RNA genome. These viruses are a significant cause of gastroenteritis in humans as well as other diseases in other animal species. It is estimated that they cause an estimated 2-17% of children's diarrheal illness worldwide.
• the astrovirus coat protein (“CP”) has strong effects on the complement system, suggesting that the 'active' portion of the protein may have clinical utility in decreasing tissue damage from complement-mediated diseases.
• WP CP wild type coat protein purified from human astrovirus type 1 (HAstV-1) can bind Clq and MBL, and regulates both classical and lectin pathway activations (Hair et al., 2010. Molec. Immunol. 47, 792- 798). This property is analogous to the properties described for human neutrophil peptide- 1 (HNP-1) (van den Berg et al, 1998. Blood. 92, 3898-3903; Groeneveld et al, 2007. Molec. Immunol.
• the HAstV-1 coat protein is a 787 amino acid molecule that has been expressed from a recombinant baculovirus construct and then purified (Bonaparte et al, J. Virol. 82, 817-827).
• the present invention provides peptide compounds that regulate the classical and lectin pathways of the complement system and methods of using these compounds.
• the peptide compounds of this invention can bind, regulate and inactivate CI and MBL, and therefore can efficiently inhibit classical and lectin pathway activation at its earliest point while leaving the alternative pathway intact.
• These peptide compounds are of therapeutic value for selectively regulating and inhibiting CI and MBL activation without affecting the alterative pathway and can be used for treating diseases mediated by dysregulated activation of the classical and lectin pathways.
• the peptide compounds regulate the classical pathway activation but not the lectin pathway activation.
• the invention is based on the identification of an isolated, purified peptide of 30 amino acids derived from human astrovirus coat protein, termed CP1, and having SEQ ID NO: 1 that is able to regulate the classical and lectin pathway activation by binding to Clq and MBL.
• the invention is directed to peptide compounds that are peptide mimetics, peptide analogs and/or synthetic derivatives of CP1 having, for example, internal peptide deletions and substitutions, deletions and substitutions at the N-terminus and C-terminus, and that are able to regulate the classical and lectin pathway activation by binding to Clq and MBL.
• a further embodiment of the invention is any one of the peptide compounds of this invention, wherein the peptide compound is modified through acetylation of the N- terminal residue.
• the peptide sequence has at least about 70%, at least about 75%), at least about 80%>, at least about 85%, at least about 90%>, at least about 91%>, at least about 92%, at least about 93%, at least about 94%, at least about 95%, at least about 96%o, at least about 97%, at least about 98%>, or at least about 99% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: l .
• Another embodiment of the invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions.
• the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the peptide of any one of the compounds described above and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent, or excipient.
• a further embodiment of the invention is a method of treating a disease associated with complement-mediated tissue damage by administering the pharmaceutical compositions described above, wherein the disease associated with complement-mediated tissue damage is selected from the group consisting of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, serum sickness, Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ASDS), ischemia-reperfusion injury, stroke, myocardial infarction, alio- or xeno- transplantation injury, hyeracute rejection, graft versus host disease (GVHD), Alzheimer's disease, burn injuries, hemodialysis damage, cardiopulmonary bypass damage, paroxysmal pocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and
• Another embodiment of the invention is a method of treating a disease associated with complement-mediated tissue damage, further comprising administering to a subject at least one other active ingredient effective in treating the disease, wherein the at least one other active ingredient is selected from the group consisting of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, a corticosteroid, a disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug, a Cl- inhibitor, and eculizumab.
• FIG. 1 is a graph depicting CP dose-dependently competing with human neutrophil defensin 1 (HNP-1) for binding to Clq.
• Clq was mixed with increasing amounts of WT CP (circles) or BSA (triangles) and added to the ELISA plate coated with HNP-1. After washing, bound Clq was measured using polyclonal antibody to Clq. Data are the means from three independent experiments. Error bars denote SEM.
• FIG. 2A shows the alignment of WT CP with the 30 amino acid HNP-1 molecule as determined by ClustalW analysis.
• the symbol “*” indicates identical residues, ":” indicates conserved residues, and ".” indicates semi-conserved residues between CP and HNP-1 sequences.
• FIG. 2A also shows the two 30 amino acid peptides (CPl and CP2) that were synthesized based upon this alignment.
• FIG. 2B is a graph depicting peptide compounds that dose-dependently competed with WT CP for Clq binding. A constant amount of Clq was mixed with increasing amounts of WT CP and added to an ELISA plate coated with CPl (no symbol) or CP2 (squares). When BSA was substituted for WT CP (triangles), no competition occurred. Data are the means from three independent experiments. Error bars denote SEM.
• FIGS. 3A-3D demonstrates the binding of CP peptides to Clq.
• Peptides CPl, CP2, HNP-1 (FIG. 3A), C04A, C27A (FIG. 3B), E23A, E25A (FIG. 3C) and ⁇ 8-22 (FIG. 3D) were coated onto the ELISA plate and incubated with increasing amounts of purified Clq. Clq was detected with polyclonal antisera to Clq. Data represents triplicate readings for each peptide derivative. Error bars denote SEM.
• FIGS . 4A-4D demonstrate that CP 1 , but not CP2, regulates C 1 activation.
• Partially purified human CI was incubated alone, with aggregated IgG (agg-IgG), or with agg-IgG and increasing amounts of CPl (FIG. 4A) or CP2 (FIG. 4B) peptides (1-4 ⁇ of a 250 mM stock) for 90 minutes at 37° C.
• the reaction mixtures were then loaded on an 8% SDS-PAGE gel and subjected to immunoblot with polyclonal antisera to Cls.
• FIGS. 4A and 4B the heavy and light chains of Cls, which indicate Cls activation, and the proenzyme Cls, are indicated to the right of the gel image, while the molecular mass markers (in kD) are indicated to the left of the gel image.
• FIGS. 4C and 4D are graphs quantifying the extent of CI activation corresponding to CPl (FIG. 4C) and CP2 (FIG. 4D), respectively, as determined by Odyssey imaging. Data are the means from two independent experiments. Error bars denote SEM.
• FIG. 5 is a graph depicting peptide compound regulation of complement activity in a C4 activation assay.
• ELISA plates were pre-coated with ovalbumin decorated with anti-ovalbumin antibodies.
• NHS was incubated alone or with BSA, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) control, WT CP (1.8 ⁇ g), or peptide compounds (0.5 mM) for 15 minutes and subsequently added to the ovalbumin-antibody target.
• Polyclonal C4 antibody was used to detect C4 deposition.
• C4 deposition was standardized to 100% for NHS alone, and all values were adjusted to subtract out background values from a heat-inactivated NHS control. Data are the means from three independent experiments. Error bars denote SEM.
• FIG. 6A and 6B are graphs depicting peptide compound regulation of complement activity in a hemolytic assay.
• FIG. 6A antibody-sensitized sheep erythrocytes were incubated with NHS alone, or with peptide compounds (1.4 mM) or a DMSO control.
• FIG. 6B antibody-sensitized sheep erythrocytes were incubated with NHS (white bars) or factor B-depleted serum (black bars) alone, or with peptide
• FIG. 6A depicts the mean data from three independent experiments, and FIG. 6B depicts data from one experiment. Error bars denote SEM.
• FIG. 7 is a graph depicting the hemolytic assay titration of the Polar Assortant peptide in Factor B-depleted serum. The data shows the Polar Assortant peptide regulating classical pathway activation in a dose dependent manner.
• FIGS. 8 A and B are graphs depicting MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometry analysis of the oligomeric state of E23A.
• FIG. 8 A depicts linear mode analysis of E23A
• FIG. 8B depicts reflection mode analysis of E23A.
• E23A has a theoretical mass of 2934.37.
• the lower resolution and lower mass accuracy of the linear mode is shown in the zoom of the peptide peak with the lack of monoisotopic peptide peaks.
• FIG. 8B the high resolution and mass accuracy of the reflection mode is shown in the zoom of the peptide peak.
• FIG. 9A depicts the amino acid residues of E23A compared to the residues of Vigna radiata plant defensin 1 (VrDl).
• E23A was uploaded onto CPHModels-3.0 server, which aligned residues 2-29 of E23A with residues 17-44 of the plant defensin VrDl .
• the alignment was confirmed by ClustalW analysis.
• the symbol "*" indicates identical residues, ":” indicates conserved residues, and ".” indicates semi-conserved residues.
• FIG. 9B is an image depicting the structural model of E23A.
• the PDB coordinates generated by CPHModels-3.0 were uploaded onto FirstGlance in Jmol to visualize the structural model.
• N-terminal alpha helix and beta strands are shown as ribbons, with arrowheads pointing towards the carboxy termini.
• Random coil is shown as smoothed backbone traces.
• the putative disulphide bond is shown as a thin cylinder.
• the present invention provides peptide compounds that regulate the classical and lectin pathways of the complement system, specifically by binding and/or inactivating CI and MBL and thus regulating the classical and lectin pathway activation at its earliest point without affecting the alternative pathway. These peptide compounds are of therapeutic value for the treatment of diseases and conditions mediated by dysregulated activation of the classical and lectin pathways.
• the invention is based on the identification of an isolated, purified peptide of 30 amino acids derived from human astro virus coat protein, termed CP1, and having a sequence (SEQ ID NO: l) that is able to regulate the classical and lectin pathway activation by binding to Clq and MBL.
• the peptide compounds regulate the classical pathway activation but not the lectin pathway activation.
• peptide compound(s), refers to amino acid sequences, which may be naturally occurring, or peptide mimetics, peptide analogs and/or synthetic derivatives of about 30 amino acids based on SEQ ID NO: 1.
• the peptide compound may be less than about 30 amino acid residues, such as between about 20 and about 30 amino acid residues and such as peptide compounds between about 10 to about 20 amino acid residues.
• Peptide residues of, for example, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 amino acids are equally likely to be peptide compounds within the context of the present invention.
• the disclosed peptide compounds are generally constrained (that is, have some element of structure as, for example, the presence of amino acids that initiate a pturn or ⁇ pleated sheet, or, for example, are cyclized by the presence of disulfide bonded Cys residues) or unconstrained (that is, linear) amino acid sequences of about 30 amino acid residues, or less than about 30 amino acid residues.
• Substitutes for an amino acid within the peptide sequence may be selected from other members of the class to which the amino acid belongs.
• the nonpolar (hydrophobic) amino acids include alanine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, proline,
• Amino acids containing aromatic ring structures include phenylalanine, tryptophan, and tyrosine.
• the polar neutral amino acids include glycine, serine, threonine, cysteine, tyrosine, asparagine, and glutamine.
• the positively charged (basic) amino acids include arginine and lysine.
• the negatively charged (acidic) amino acids include aspartic acid and glutamic acid. For example, one or more amino acid residues within the sequence can be substituted by another amino acid of a similar polarity, which acts as a functional equivalent, resulting in a silent alteration.
• the peptide of the present disclosure comprises one or more of the following conservative amino acid substitutions: replacement of an aliphatic amino acid, such as alanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine, with another aliphatic amino acid; replacement of a serine with a threonine; replacement of a threonine with a serine; replacement of an acidic residue, such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid, with another acidic residue; replacement of a residue bearing an amide group, such as asparagine and glutamine, with another residue bearing an amide group; exchange of a basic residue, such as lysine and arginine, with another basic residue; and replacement of an aromatic residue, such as phenylalanine and tyrosine, with another aromatic residue.
• conservative amino acid substitutions replacement of an aliphatic amino acid, such as alanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine, with another aliphatic amino acid
• amino acid substitutions include:
• the invention discloses an isolated, purified peptide derived from human astrovirus coat protein, the peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.
• the invention discloses an isolated, purified, synthetic peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, with one or more amino acid substitutions, modifications, insertions, or deletions, wherein the peptide regulates complement activation.
• the invention discloses an isolated, purified, synthetic peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, with one or more conservative amino acid substitutions, wherein the peptide regulates complement activation.
• the peptide compounds may have internal peptide deletions and substitutions as well as deletions and substitutions at the N-terminus and C-terminus based on SEQ ID NO: l .
• the peptide has about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, or 20 or more amino acid substitutions, modifications, insertions, or deletions.
• the peptide sequence has at least about 70%, at least about 75%), at least about 80%>, at least about 85%, at least about 90%>, at least about 91%>, at least about 92%, at least about 93%, at least about 94%, at least about 95%, at least about 96%o, at least about 97%, at least about 98%>, or at least about 99% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: l .
• CP1 and CP2 Two 30-residue peptides that encompassed the region of homology between HNP-1 and the WT CP, CP1 and CP2, were synthesized (FIG. 2A). CP1 demonstrated consistent regulation of classical pathway activation, while CP2 did not regulate classical pathway activation. CP1 retains limited homology with FINP-1 at its N and C termini (four residues each); however, no homology exists internally to these flanking residues, as shown in FIG. 2 A.
• WT CP may regulate CI and MBL activity by binding the collagen- like regions of both molecules and dissociating their associated serine proteases, Cls-Clr-Clr-Cls and MASP2, from Clq and MBL, respectively (Hair et al, 2010. Molec. Immunol. 47, 792-798).
• peptide compounds in this disclosure were synthesized through peptide deletions and substitutions of CP1, the 30 amino acid peptide of HAstV CP described above. Additional peptide compounds have been synthesized based on modifications of CP1, as shown in TABLE 1 below.
• PAICQRA EIEACILL SEQ ID NO: 7
• PAIaQRA EIEAalLL SEQ ID NO: 8
• CP1 is an isolated, purified peptide derived from human astrovirus coat protein, the peptide comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.
• CP2 is an isolated, purified peptide derived from human astrovirus coat protein, the peptide comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2.
• CP1 contains two cysteine residues at positions 4 and 27, which were individually substituted with alanine in C04A and C27A.
• the cysteine residues of CP1 were targeted to determine if disulphide bonding in CP1 is required for classical pathway activation.
• the peptide regulators of C3 are known in the art.
• disulphide bonding of the cysteine residues may be important for proper peptide conformation and stability, as suggested by the structural model of E23A (FIG. 9B).
• the ⁇ 8-22 peptide was a deletion of residues 8-22 from E23A. This peptide was active in all functional assays tested and bound Clq (FIG. 3D). This ⁇ 8-22 peptide retains the two cysteine and two glutamic acid residues and is half the size of CPl (15 residues versus 30 residues).
• the ⁇ 8-22 peptide (SEQ ID No. 7) was oxidized during synthesis to form a disulphide bond between the two cysteine residues ( ⁇ 8-22 oxidized). This peptide was active in all functional assays tested. The two cysteine residues were replaced in the ⁇ 8-22 peptide with a cysteine derivative that does not form a disulphide bond, such that the peptide stays reduced. ( ⁇ 8-22 peptide Abu; SEQ ID No. 8). This peptide was active in all functional assays tested. With the peptide Polar Assortant (SEQ ID No. 9), the 15 amino acid residues from ⁇ 8-22 peptide were scrambled. This peptide was also active in all functional assays tested.
• PAICQRATATLGT - - - NTSGTTEIEACILL (SEQ ID NO 10)
• PAICQRATA TTEIEACILL SEQ ID NO 12
• PAICQRATATLGTVGSNTSGTTEIEACIL - (SEQ ID NO: 16)
• PAICQRATATLGTVGSNTSGTTEIEACI - - (SEQ ID NO: 17)
• PAICQRATATLGTVGSNTSGTTEIEAC- - - (SEQ ID NO: 18)
• CP1 is 30 amino acid residues in length and aligns with the first ten residues of HNP-1, as shown in FIG. 2A. Alignment of these two molecules was based upon the cysteine residues at the N and C terminus that are required for
• N and C terminal amino acids are progressively deleted individually up to each cysteine residue of CP1. Additionally, both N- and C-terminal deletions from CP1 and CP2 are made to create 15 amino acid peptides. These modified peptide compounds are synthesized and evaluated for Clq and MBL binding to determine if these flanking residues are required for Clq and MBL binding activity. These deletions assist in determining the minimal size of the peptide compound required for regulating complement activation.
• Alanine scanning is done to identify specific amino acid residues that are responsible for a peptide's activity. With alanine scanning, alanine is used to substitute each residue sequentially. The substitution of an essential amino acid results in a change in peptide activity, with the degree of activity taken as a relative measure of the importance of the amino acid being substituted.
• the subject matter discloses peptide compounds substituted with alanine at certain positions.
• the subject matter discloses an isolated, purified, synthetic peptide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 , wherein one or more of the amino acids are substituted with alanine, wherein the peptide regulates complement activation.
• the amino acids substituted with alanine are at positions 4, 23, 25, or 27.
• Two glutamic acid residue positions are substituted both individually and together with alanine (TABLE 2, in bold and underlined). While not bound by any theory, the wild-type CP molecule may interact with reactive lysine residues on Clq and MBL that are required for binding the serine proteases Cls-Clr-Clr-Cls and MASP2, respectively. Given the negative charge associated with glutamic acid, these residues may interact directly with the positively charged lysine residues on Clq and MBL to facilitate CP binding. Two cysteine residue positions, both individually and together, are substituted with alanine (TABLE 2, in bold and underlined).
• the subject matter discloses peptide compounds with acetylation of the N terminus.
• Acetylation of CP1 increases potency by reducing the charge at the N terminus of the peptide (i.e., electrostatic effects) (Ricklin and Lambris, 2008. Nat. Biotech. 25, 1265-1275). This modification may aid in improving the in vivo stability of the peptide with respect to exopeptidases, as was shown with Compstation (Ricklin and Lambris, 2008. Nat. Biotech. 25, 1265-1275).
• the peptide compound synthesized from N-terminal acetylation includes any of the peptides described above, wherein the peptide is modified through acetylation of the N-terminal residue.
• complement is a vital host defense against pathogenic organisms such as bacteria and some enveloped viruses, its unchecked activation can cause devastating host cell damage.
• Host tissue damage mediated by complement has been implicated in a wide variety of diseases, including autoimmune pathologies such as: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, and serum sickness.
• ARDS Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome
• ischemia-reperfusion injuries including stroke and myocardial infarction
• alio- and xeno- transplantation complications including hyperacute rejection and graft versus host disease (GVHD)
• Alzheimer's disease burn injuries, hemodialysis damage, cardiopulmonary bypass damage, and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).
• PNH paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
• Hereditary angioedema is a very rare genetic disorder caused by reduced levels of or non- functional CI -inhibitor; symptoms of HAE include acute edema.
• Cl- inhibitor naturally regulates C 1 activation, and treatment of acute edema requires substantial infusion of CI -inhibitor or plasma transfusion.
• astrovirus CP functionally blocks CI activation
• using the disclosed peptide compounds to treat HAE fulfills a therapeutic need because CI -inhibitor has to be purified from human sera from multiple subjects and, therefore, could be contaminated with human blood-borne pathogens.
• Therapeutic administration of the disclosed peptide compounds regulates CI either in adjunct therapy with CI -inhibitor or as a stand-alone therapeutic treatment.
• the disclosed peptide compounds can selectively regulate Clq and MBL activation without affecting alternative pathway activity and are, thus, ideal for preventing and treating diseases mediated by the dysregulated activation of the classical and lectin pathways.
• the alternative pathway is essential for immune surveillance against invading pathogens, and humans with alternative pathway defects suffer severe bacterial infections.
• the peptide compounds can efficiently regulate classical and lectin pathway activation while leaving the alternative pathway intact.
• the term "regulate,” as used herein, refers to i) controlling, reducing, inhibiting or regulating the biological function of an enzyme, protein, peptide, factor, byproduct, or derivative thereof, either individually or in complexes; ii) reducing the quantity of a biological protein, peptide, or derivative thereof, either in vivo or in vitro; or iii)
• the term "regulate” may thus be used, for example, to describe reducing the quantity of a single component of the complement cascade compared to a control sample, reducing the rate or total amount of formation of a component or complex of components, or reducing the overall activity of a complex process or series of biological reactions, leading to such outcomes as cell lysis, formation of convertase enzymes, formation of complement-derived membrane attack complexes, inflammation, or inflammatory disease.
• the term “regulate” may refer to the measurable change or reduction of some biological or chemical event, but the person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the measurable change or reduction need not be total to be “regulatory.”
• compositions capable of regulating the complement system comprising at least one peptide compound, as discussed above, and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent, or excipient.
• compositions of the present invention can be in the form of tablets, pills, powders, lozenges, sachets, cachets, elixirs, suspensions, emulsions, solutions, or syrups.
• Some examples of pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, diluents, or excipients include: lactose, dextrose, sucrose, sorbitol, mannitol, starches, gum acacia, calcium phosphate, alginates, tragacanth, gelatin, calcium silicate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, cellulose, sterile water, syrup, and methyl cellulose.
• compositions of the present invention can be formulated using procedures known in the art to provide quick, normal, or sustained or delayed release of the active ingredient.
• the disclosure relates to a method of regulating the complement system in a subject comprising administering to a subject the compositions described above.
• the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention are prepared by mixing the peptide compound having the appropriate degree of purity with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, diluents, or excipients. Examples of formulations and methods for preparing such formulations are well known in the art.
• the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention are useful as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent for various disorders and diseases, as set forth above.
• the composition comprises a
• the composition comprises at least one other active ingredient effective in treating at least one disease associated with complement-mediated tissue damage.
• therapeutically effective amount refers to the total amount of each active component that is sufficient to show a meaningful benefit to the subject.
• subject means any subject for whom diagnosis, prognosis, or therapy is desired.
• a subject can be a mammal, e.g., a human or non-human primate (such as an ape, monkey, orangutan, or chimpanzee), a dog, cat, guinea pig, rabbit, rat, mouse, horse, cattle, or cow.
• a human or non-human primate such as an ape, monkey, orangutan, or chimpanzee
• a dog cat, guinea pig, rabbit, rat, mouse, horse, cattle, or cow.
• treat refers to administering a therapy in an amount, manner (e.g., schedule of administration), and/or mode (e.g., route of administration), effective to improve a disorder (e.g., a disorder described herein) or a symptom thereof, or to prevent or slow the progression of a disorder (e.g., a disorder described herein) or a symptom thereof.
• a disorder e.g., a disorder described herein
• mode e.g., route of administration
• An effective amount, manner, or mode can vary depending on the subject and may be tailored to the subject.
• a treatment can prevent or slow deterioration resulting from a disorder or a symptom thereof in an affected or diagnosed subject.
• the therapeutically effective amount of the peptide compound varies depending on several factors, such as the condition being treated, the severity of the condition, the time of administration, the route of administration, the rate of excretion of the compound employed, the duration of treatment, the co-therapy involved, and the age, gender, weight, and condition of the subject, etc.
• One of ordinary skill in the art can determine the therapeutically effective amount. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art may need to titer the dosage and modify the route of administration to obtain the maximal therapeutic effect.
• the effective daily dose generally is within the range of from about 0.001 to about 100 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of body weight, preferably about 0.01 to about 50 mg/kg, more preferably about 0.1 to about 20 mg/kg.
• This dose can be achieved through a 1-6 time(s) daily dosing regimen.
• optimal treatment can be achieved through a sustained release formulation with a less frequent dosing regimen.
• compositions may be adapted for administration by any appropriate route, for example, by the oral, nasal, topical (including buccal, sublingual, or transdermal), or parenteral (including subcutaneous, intracutaneous, intramuscular, intraarticular, intraperitoneal, intrasynovial, intrasternal, intrathecal, intralesional, intravenous, or intradermal injections or infusions) route.
• parenteral including subcutaneous, intracutaneous, intramuscular, intraarticular, intraperitoneal, intrasynovial, intrasternal, intrathecal, intralesional, intravenous, or intradermal injections or infusions
• FDA Food and Drug Administration
• a further embodiment of the invention provides a method of preventing or treating a disease associated with complement-mediated tissue damage, comprising administering to a subject the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention.
• the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention can be administered as the sole active pharmaceutical agent, they can also be used in combination with one or more therapeutic or prophylactic agent(s) that is(are) effective for preventing or treating the disease.
• the method of the present invention comprises administrating the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention before, concurrently, and/or after one or more additional therapeutic or prophylactic agents effective in treating at least one disease associated with complement-mediated tissue damage.
• compositions of the present invention can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, either alone or in combination with a non-steroidal antiinflammatory agent (NSAID), a corticosteroid, or a disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD).
• NSAID non-steroidal antiinflammatory agent
• corticosteroid corticosteroid
• DMARD disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug
• NSAIDs include: salicylates (such as aspirin, amoxiprin, benorilate, choline magnesium salicylate, difiunisal, dispatchlamine, methyl salicylate, magnesium salicylate, and salicyl salicylate (salsalate)), arylalkanoic acids (such as diclofenac, aceclofenac, acemetacin, bromfenac, etodolac, indometacin, ketorolac, nabumetone, sulindac, and tolmeti), 2-arylpropionic acids (such as ibuprofen, carprofen, fenbufen, fenoprofen, flurbiprofen, ketoprofen, loxoprofen, naproxen, tiaprofenic acid, and suprofen), N-arylanthranilic acids (such as mefenamic acid and meclofenamic acid), pyr
• oxicams such as piroxicam, lornoxicam, meloxicam, and tenoxicam
• COX-2 inhibitors such as etoricoxib, lumiracoxib, and parecoxib
• sulphonanilides such as nimesulide, and others such as licofelone and omega-3 fatty acids.
• corticosteroid examples include: triamcinolone (Aristocort®), cortisone (Cortone® Acetate Tablets), dexamethasone (Decadron® Elixir), prednisone (Deltasone®), and methylprednisolone (Medrol®).
• Examples of DMARD include: methotrexate (Rheumatrex®), leflunomide (Arava®), etanercept (Enbrel®), infliximab (Remicade®), adalimumab (Humira®), anakinra (Kineret®), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine EN-Tabs®), antimalarials, gold salts, d- penicillamine, cyclosporin A, cyclophosphamide and azathioprine.
• SolirisTM (eculizumab) is a humanized anti-C5 monoclonal antibody. It has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of the rare form of hemolytic anemia, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. In one embodiment, the pharmaceutical
• compositions of the present invention can be used in combination with SolirisTM in treating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, heart disease, pulmonary diseases, autoimmune diseases, asthma, as well as the ancillary care of transplants.
• compositions of the present invention can be administered with the additional agent(s) in combination therapy, either jointly or separately, or by combining the pharmaceutical compositions and the additional agent(s) into one
• both the pharmaceutical compositions and the additional agent(s) are usually present at dosage levels of between about 10% and about 150%, more preferably, between about 10%> and about 80%>, of the dosage normally administered in a mono-therapy regimen.
• Wild-type HAstV-1 CP was expressed from a recombinant baculovirus in Spodoptera frugiperda cells (line IPLB-Sf21) and purified as previously described
• HNP-1 , CP1 , and CP2 peptides were obtained from Biomatik, whereas C04A, C27A, E23A, E25A and d8-22 were purchased from GenScript. Before shipment, the peptide compounds were analyzed by HPLC and ESI-mass spectrometry. Upon receipt, peptides were dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) at a concentration of 10 mM and stored at -80 °C. Heat-aggregated human IgG was prepared using methods known in the art (Bonaparte et al, 2008. J. Virol. 82, 817- 827).
• DMSO dimethylsulfoxide
• Standard complement buffers were used: GVBS ++ (Veronal-buffered saline, 0.1% gelatin, 0.15 mM CaCl 2 , and 1.0 mM MgCl 2 ) and GVBS " " (Veronal-buffered saline, 0.1% gelatin, 0.01 M EDTA).
• HNP-1 peptides (2.5 ⁇ ) were coated onto 96-well Maxisorp plates (Nunc) in coating buffer (100 mM Na 2 C0 3 , NaHC0 3 , [pH 9.6]) and plates were incubated at room temperature overnight. Plates were washed with PBS/T and blocked with 3% BSA/PBS, 0.05% Tween-20 (PBS/T) for 2 hours at room temperature. Next, a constant amount of purified Clq (10 ⁇ ; Complement Technologies, Inc.) was added to each well, while decreasing amounts of CP, starting at 100 ⁇ g/mL, were added simultaneously and incubated for 1 hour at room temperature. BSA was substituted for CP as a negative control for competition. After washing, the primary antibody, goat anti-Clq polyclonal antibody (Complement
• One ⁇ of partially purified human CI (0.2 mg/ml, Complement Technologies, Inc.) was incubated at 37 °C for 90 minutes, either alone or with heat-aggregated human immunoglobulin G (5 ⁇ of a 1 :250 dilution of 50 ⁇ g/ml starting solution), or with increasing amounts of the indicated peptides (250 ⁇ stock), and brought up to a total volume of 11 ⁇ in PBS. After the incubation, an equal volume of loading buffer was added to all samples, which were subsequently boiled and electrophoresed through an 8% SDS-PAGE for 60 minutes at 140 volts. The gel was then transferred to nitrocellulose and blocked with non-fat dried milk (NFDM) in PBS.
• NFDM non-fat dried milk
• the blot was probed with a goat polyclonal antibody to Cls (Quidel) at a 1 :2,000 dilution, washed in PBS/0.1% Tween-20, followed by HRP-conjugated donkey anti-goat IRDye 680 antibody (Li-cor Biosciences) at a 1 : 10,000 dilution and washed with PBS/0.1% Tween.
• the blot was then imaged on an Odyssey imager using version 3.0 software (Li-cor Biosciences), and activation of Cls was determined from the amounts of the Cls heavy and light chains characteristic of activated Cls relative to the proenzyme species.
• the C4 activation assay was adapted from Mallik et al., 2005. J. Med. Chem. 48, 274-286.
• Wells of Immulon-2, 96 well plates were coated with 50 ⁇ of 1.0 mg/ml ovalbumin (Fisher) in coating buffer and incubated overnight at 4 °C.
• the plates were washed with PBS/T and blocked with 3% BSA/PBS for 2 hours at room temperature.
• the plates were washed again and then incubated with a rabbit anti-ovalbumin antibody (Millipore) diluted in 3% BSA/PBS at 1 :2,000 for 1 hour at room temperature.
• the peptides were diluted to 0.5 mM in 10% NHS/GVBS ++ and incubated for 15 minutes at 37 °C. The plates were then washed, and the pre-incubated samples were added to the plates at a 1 :4 dilution in GVBS ++ and incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• the plates were washed and goat anti-C4 antibody (Complement Technologies, Inc.) was added at a dilution of 1 :2,000 in 3% BSA/PBS for 1 hour, followed by another wash and a donkey anti-goat IgG-HRP antibody (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc.) diluted to 1 :2,000 in 3% BSA/PBS for 1 hour.
• the plates were then developed and absorbance values determined as described above.
• Peptides were diluted to 1.4 mM or 0.77 mM in undiluted NHS or factor B- depleted human sera (Complement Technologies, Inc.) and incubated for 1 hour at 37 °C. These peptides were then diluted with GVBS ++ to equal 2.5% NHS, of which 0.25 ml was combined with 0.4 ml of GVBS ++ and 0.1 ml of sensitized sheep red blood cells (RBCs) and again incubated for 1 hour at 37 °C.
• the procedure was stopped by the addition of 4.0 ml of GVBS ⁇ ⁇ , centrifuged for 5 minutes at 1,620 x g, and the absorbance of the supernatants was read at 412 nm in a spectrophotometer. The percent lysis of each sample was standardized to that of the NHS only control.
• Polar Assortant peptide was serially diluted as indicated in FIG. 7 in undiluted factor B-depleted human sera (Complement Technologies, Inc.) and incubated for 1 hour at 37 °C.
• Factor B-depleted serum alone, 0.77 mM of ⁇ 8-22 and DMSO were included as controls.
• These peptides were then diluted with GVBS ++ to equal 2.5% NHS, of which 0.25 ml was combined with 0.4 ml of GVBS ++ and 0.1 ml of sensitized sheep red blood cells (RBCs) and again incubated for 1 hour at 37 °C.
• the procedure was stopped by the addition of 4.0 ml of GVBS ⁇ ⁇ , centrifuged for 5 minutes at 1,620 x g, and the absorbance of the supernatants was read at 412 nm in a spectrophotometer. The percent lysis of each sample was standardized to that of the NHS only control.
• Synthetic peptides were purified by C 18 ZipTipsTM (Millipore) before mass spectrometry analysis, as follows: 10 ⁇ of 70% acetonitrile (ACN)/0.1% triflouroacetic acid (TFA) was pipetted two times through the ZipTip to wet the resin, followed by two 10 ⁇ washes of 0.1 % TFA to equilibrate the resin. The acidified peptide sample was aspirated up and down five times through the ZipTip to bind peptides to the resin.
• ACN acetonitrile
• TFA triflouroacetic acid
• Contaminants were washed by pipetting 0.1% TFA three times through the ZipTip before eluting the bound peptides into a fresh tube using 70%> ACN/O.P/o TFA.
• the peptides were dried in a speed vac, re-suspended in 10 ⁇ 0.1 %> TFA before mixing with matrix (a-cyano-4 hydroxycinnamic acid or sinapinic acid) at a ratio of 1 :4 before analysis.
• E23A The amino acid sequence of E23A was uploaded onto the CPHmodels 3.0 server (http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/CPHmodels/; Lund et al, 2002. Abstract at the CASP5 conference A 102).
• the program aligned E23A with the Vigna radiata plant defensin 1 (VrDl), which provided the template and Protein Data Bank (PDB) coordinates for generating the structural model.
• VrDl plant defensin 1
• PDB Protein Data Bank
• FIG. 1 is a graph depicting CP dose-dependently competing with human neutrophil defensin 1 (FINP-1) for binding to Clq. A fixed amount of purified Clq and increasing amounts of CP were added simultaneously.
• Purified CP can regulate classical pathway activation at the level of CI, by binding Clq and preventing the cleavage of the proenzyme Cls (Hair et al., 2010. J. Virol. 82, 817-827).
• partially purified CI complex was incubated for 90 minutes at 37 °C with heat-aggregated IgG (a potent stimulator of classical pathway activation) with increasing amounts of CP1 and CP2.
• IgG a potent stimulator of classical pathway activation
• Example 14 -Regulation of Complement Activity by CP Peptide in Functional Assays
• a C4 activation assay and a hemolytic assay were used.
• a method known in the art (Mallik et al., 2005. J. Med. Chem. 48, 274-286) was modified so that ELISA plates were coated with ovalbumin to which anti- ovalbumin antibodies were allowed to bind, mimicking an immune-complex target.
• the various peptide compounds were then diluted to 0.5 mM in 10% NHS/GVBS , incubated for 15 minutes, and subsequently added to each well.
• C4 Classical pathway activation (C4) was assayed by detecting deposition of C4-fragments using a polyclonal anti-C4 antibody.
• NHS alone, NHS + BSA, and NHS + DMSO all demonstrated similar deposition of C4-fragments, whereas NHS treated with WT CP regulated C4 activation.
• CP1 demonstrated a 35% inhibitory effect, whereas CP2 had no effect on C4 activation, consistent with the results observed for Cls activation (FIG. 4).
• Peptide compounds C04A, C27A, E25A, and ⁇ 8-22 all inhibited complement activation of C4 by 20-45%.
• E23A potently suppressed C4 activation by 90%>.
• complement activity was measured. As opposed to the C4 activation assay, all three complement pathways (classical, lectin and alternative) were present and may have contributed to the observed regulatory activity. However, initial complement activation was primarily driven by the antibody on the erythrocytes and, thus, the classical pathway. As demonstrated in FIG. 6A, NHS either alone or in the presence of DMSO lysed erythrocytes as expected. CP2 regulated lysis to a similar level as CP1 (66% inhibition) in contrast to the C4 activation assay, in which the CP2 peptide had no regulatory effect. C04A had minimal effect on erythrocyte lysis, whereas C27A was more inhibitory (85% inhibition). Similar to the effect seen in the C4 activation assay, E23A inhibited
• erythrocyte lysis efficiently (85% inhibition) compared with E25A, which had 60% inhibition.
• the ⁇ 8-22 peptide compound inhibited erythrocyte lysis by 75%.
• the Polar Assortant peptide initially showed significant regulation of classical pathway activity in a hemolytic assay with NHS and factor B-depleted serum (data not shown). To further explore the regulatory activity of this peptide on the classical pathway, a dilution of the Polar Assortant peptide was made in factor B-depleted serum. In contrast to the lack of regulation seen for NHS alone and DMSO vehicle, the Polar Assortant peptide dose-dependently regulated classical pathway activation significantly beyond that of ⁇ 8-22 (FIG. 7, compare 0.77 mM ⁇ 8-22 versus 0.77 mM Polar Assortant).
• CP peptide oligomerization To further characterize the CP peptides, it was assessed whether these compounds could oligomerize into higher ordered structures, such as dimers, trimers, etc.
• CP peptide oligomerization all seven CP peptides from TABLE 1 were analyzed by MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometry in the linear and reflection modes. In both modes, all peptides were found to be monomeric with no major peaks carrying a mass to charge ratio (m/z) greater than the theoretical mass of the peptide tested.
• FIGS. 8A-8B show both the linear and reflection modes, respectively. While the linear mode is lower resolution than the reflection mode, both modes demonstrate that E23 A is monomeric with no other higher-order peaks evident.
• E23A As a highly potent regulator of classical pathway activation, a structural model for the E23 A peptide was generated.
• the amino acid sequence of E23A was uploaded onto the CPHmodels-3.0 server.
• This program is a protein homology modeling resource where template recognition is based upon profile- profile alignment guided by secondary structure and exposure predictions (Lund et al, 2002. Abstract at the CASP5 conference A102).
• FIG. 9A depicts an 11 residue N-terminal alpha helix followed by two anti-parallel beta strands.
• the alpha helix and beta strands are connected by two, 3-5 residue disordered loops.
• the two cysteine residues are shown forming a disulphide bond (depicted as a thin cylinder) between the alpha helix and second beta strand, which may play a role in stabilizing the overall structure.
• peptide analogs of CP1 are commercially synthesized. These modified peptides are then analyzed for interaction with Clq and MBL in binding assays known in the art (Hair et al., 2010. Molec. Immunol. 47, 792-798).). These assays are briefly described below.
• CP peptide analogs are coated onto microtiter plates at various concentrations and analyzed for their ability to bind purified Clq (CompTech). Clq binding is detected with anti-Clq monoclonal antibody (Quidel), followed by donkey anti-mouse HRP (Santa Cruz Biotech). The plates are then developed with tetramethyl benzindine, the reactions terminated with H 2 SO 4 , and absorbance read at 450 nm. A positive control for Clq binding consists of CP1, whereas negative controls are BSA.
• MBL binding is conducted in a similar manner to the Clq binding assay described above. Purified human MBL and goat anti-MBL sera are utilized, followed by donkey anti-goat HRP for detection of MBL. Again, half-maximal binding values are calculated and compared across peptide compounds.
• CP peptide derivatives to inhibit CI and MBL activation in functional assays.
• the CP peptide analogs that specifically bind to Clq and MBL are assessed for their capacity to inhibit classical and lectin pathway activation in functional assays.
• an antibody-initiated complement activation assay is utilized to determine IC 50 values of the peptide analogs in both human and rat serum. This allows for direct comparison of the relative functional activity of the peptides.
• the peptide compounds are analyzed for their ability to inhibit CI activation in the Cls immunoblot cleavage assay.
• CI CompTech
• heat-aggregated IgG are incubated with increasing amounts of the peptides.
• Cls is detected with a goat polyclonal antibody to Cls (Quidel), followed by an infrared dye conjugated donkey anti-goat antibody (Li-Cor Biosciences) for analysis on an Odyssey infrared imaging system (Li-Cor Biosciences).
• CI in the absence or presence of heat-aggregated IgG is included on each blot as a negative and positive control for Cls cleavage, respectively.
• CP1 + heat-aggregated IgG serves as a positive control of inhibition of Cls cleavage and can also be used to normalize values between experiments, if necessary.
• a commercial MBL activation assay (HyCult) is used (Hair et al., 2010. Molec. Immunol. 47, 792-798) to evaluate the CP peptide analogs.
• Normal human serum (NHS) is incubated with increasing amounts of the peptides and evaluated for lectin pathway inhibition using the commercial kit.
• NHS alone serves as a positive control for lectin activation, whereas heat-inactivated NHS serves as a negative control for activation.
• NHS + CP are used as control for demonstrating inhibition of lectin pathway activation.
• an antibody-initiated serum complement activation assay is used. This assay is a modification of protocol utilized by Dr. John Lambris and colleagues (University of Pennsylvania) to calculate IC 50 values of Compstatin and its analogs (Mallik et al., 2005. J. Med. Chem. 48, 274-286). Complement activation inhibition is assessed by measuring the inhibition of serum C4 fixation to ovalbumin-anti-ovalbumin complexes in NHS. Microtiter wells are coated with ovalbumin (10 mg/ml).
• IC 50 values for the selected peptide compounds are determined by plotting the percent inhibition against peptide concentration. CP inhibits C4 activation via the classical and lectin pathways, and CP has nominal effects on activation of the alternative pathway (Bonaparte et al, 2008. J. Virol. 82, 817-827, Hair et al, 2010. Molec. Immunol. 47, 792- 798). Using CPl as the benchmark, the relative inhibitory activities for all peptide compounds are thus directly determined.
• IC 50 values for the CP peptides in normal rat sera are determined. Wild-type CP and CPl have been demonstrated to suppress antibody-initiated complement activation in NRS (Hair et al., 2010. Molec. Immunol. 47, 792-798). Determination of the IC 50 values for the peptide compounds in NRS are critical for dose-ranging experiments in rats.
• Human astrovirus coat protein inhibits serum complement activation via CI, the first component of the classical pathway. J. Virol. 82, 817-827.
• Synthetic peptides which inhibit the interaction between Clq and immunoglobulin and prolong xenograft survival. Transplanatation. 70, 828-836.

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• 2022
  • 2022-01-12 US US17/574,098 patent/US20220127306A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2022-08-19 US US17/821,032 patent/US20230151058A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2024
  • 2024-05-07 US US18/657,556 patent/US20240309047A1/en active Pending
  • 2024-12-30 US US19/004,592 patent/US20250129124A1/en not_active Abandoned

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