Neuropeptide y-derived peptides

Abstract

The present invention discloses peptide fragments derived from neuropeptide Y (NPY), which are capable of selective binding to the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and inducing neuroplastic and neuroprotective effects, and the use of said peptide fragments as neuritogenic agents for treatment of pathological conditions in which neuroprotection and neuroplastic changes are desired, such as brain and retina disorders.

1 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A nucleic acid construct encoding a peptide derived from neuropeptide Y (NPY) (SEQ ID NO:22), wherein said peptide is selected from the group consisting of:
 a peptide consisting of 33 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence SKPDNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY3-35, SEQ ID NO: 1),   a peptide consisting of 32 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence KPDNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY4-35, SEQ ID NO: 2),   a peptide consisting of 31 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence PDNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY5-35, SEQ ID NO: 3),   a peptide consisting of 30 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence DNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY6-35, SEQ ID NO: 4),   a peptide consisting of 29 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence NPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY7-35, SEQ ID NO: 5),   a peptide consisting of 28 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence PGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY8-35, SEQ ID NO: 6),   a peptide consisting of 27 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence GEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY9-35, SEQ ID NO: 7),   a peptide consisting of 26 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence EDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY10-35, SEQ ID NO: 8),   a peptide consisting of 25 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence DAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY11-35, SEQ ID NO: 9),   a peptide consisting of 24 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence APAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY12-35, SEQ ID NO: 10),   a peptide consisting of 23 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence PAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY13-35, SEQ ID NO: 11),   a peptide consisting of 22 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence AEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY14-35, SEQ ID NO: 12),   a peptide consisting of 21 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence EDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY15-35, SEQ ID NO: 13),   a peptide consisting of 20 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence DMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY16-35, SEQ ID NO: 14),   a peptide consisting of 19 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence MARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY17-35, SEQ ID NO: 15),   a peptide consisting of 18 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence ARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY8-35, SEQ ID NO: 16),   a peptide consisting of 17 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence RYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY19-35, SEQ ID NO: 17),   a peptide consisting of 16 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence YYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY20-35, SEQ ID NO: 18), and   a peptide consisting of 15 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence YSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY21-35, SEQ ID NO: 19), or a variant of any one of the above peptides, wherein said variant comprises 1) one conservative amino acid substitution in the core sequence YSALRHYINLITROR (NPY21-35, SEQ ID NO: 19), 2) one amino acid substitution outside said core sequence, or 3) both 1) and 2), provided that the peptide has at least 90% sequence identity to any one of the above peptides,   wherein said peptide or variant thereof stimulates neurite outgrowth,   and wherein said peptide or variant thereof does not bind to and/or does not activate cognate NPY-receptors Y1, Y2 and/or Y5.   
     
     
         20 . The nucleic acid construct according to  claim 19 , wherein said nucleic acid construct is an expression vector or a plasmid. 
     
     
         21 . A delivery vehicle comprising a nucleic acid construct according to  claim 19 . 
     
     
         22 . The delivery vehicle according to  claim 21 , wherein said delivery vehicle is selected from the group consisting of: RNA based vehicles, DNA based vehicles or vectors, chemical delivery vehicles, lipid based vehicles (e.g. a liposome), polymer based vehicles (e.g. a cationic polymer DNA carrier), colloidal gold particles (e.g. coating), virally derived DNA or RNA vehicles or vectors and carrier-free delivery. 
     
     
         23 . The delivery vehicle according to  claim 21 , wherein said vehicle is a viral vector selected from the group consisting of adenoviruses, retroviruses, lentiviruses, adeno-associated viruses, recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV), herpesviruses, vaccinia viruses, foamy viruses, cytomegaloviruses, Semliki forest virus, poxviruses, RNA virus vector and DNA virus vector. 
     
     
         24 . The nucleic acid construct according to  claim 19 , wherein said nucleic acid construct encodes a peptide selected from the group consisting of: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (NPY3-35, SEQ ID NO: 1) 
                 
                     
                   SKPDNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLIFRQR 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY4-35, SEQ ID NO: 2) 
                 
                     
                   KPDNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY5-35, SEQ ID NO: 3) 
                 
                     
                   PDNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY6-35, SEQ ID NO: 4) 
                 
                     
                   DNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY7-35, SEQ ID NO: 5) 
                 
                     
                   NPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY8-35, SEQ ID NO: 6) 
                 
                     
                   PGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY9-35, SEQ ID NO: 7) 
                 
                     
                   GEDAPAEDMARYYSALRRYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY10-35, SEQ ID NO: 8) 
                 
                     
                   EDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY11-35, SEQ ID NO: 9) 
                 
                     
                   DAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY12-35, SEQ ID NO: 10) 
                 
                     
                   APAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY13-35, SEQ ID NO: 11) 
                 
                     
                   PAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY14-35, SEQ ID NO: 12) 
                 
                     
                   AEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY15-35, SEQ ID NO: 13) 
                 
                     
                   EDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY16-35, SEQ ID NO: 14) 
                 
                     
                   DMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY17-35, SEQ ID NO: 15) 
                 
                     
                   MARYYSALRHYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY18-35, SEQ ID NO: 16) 
                 
                     
                   ARYYSALRHYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY19-35, SEQ ID NO: 17) 
                 
                     
                   RYYSALRHYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY20-35, SEQ ID NO: 18) 
                 
                     
                   YYSALRHYINLITRQR, 
                 
                     
                   and 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   (NPY21-35, SEQ. ID NO: 19) 
                 
                     
                   YSALRHYINLITRQR. 
                 
             
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         25 . The nucleic acid construct according to  claim 19 , wherein said nucleic acid construct encodes a peptide which is a monomer. 
     
     
         26 . The nucleic acid construct according to  claim 19 , wherein said nucleic acid construct encodes a peptide which is a multimer comprising two or more peptides. 
     
     
         27 . A method of treating a disease or disorder of the central nervous system selected from the group consisting of a neurodegenerative disorder or disease, stroke, and epilepsy and an eye disease involving neurons and/or stimulating learning and memory, said method comprising administering to an individual in need thereof a composition comprising a nucleic acid construct according to  claim 19 . 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said eye disease involving neurons is selected from the group consisting of: a retinal disease; an optic nerve disease; retinal dystrophy or degeneration; retinal detachment; a retinopathy; macular degeneration; retinitis pigmentosa; cone-rod dystrophy; glaucoma; retinal vein occlusion; artery vein occlusion; uveitis; ocular hypertension; optic neuropathies; optic neuritis; optic nerve hypoplasia; Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA); lipemia retinalis; eye injuries; angioid streaks; and cancers of the retina. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said composition comprising a nucleic acid construct is administered directly into an eye of an individual in need thereof. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said composition comprising a nucleic acid construct is administered in combination with one or more further active ingredients and/or surgery. 
     
     
         31 . The nucleic acid construct according to  claim 30 , wherein said composition comprising a nucleic acid construct is administered simultaneously, separately or sequentially with respect to said one or more further active ingredients or surgery. 
     
     
         32 . The nucleic acid construct according to  claim 30 , wherein said further active ingredient comprises an agent capable of inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).