Dyax Corporation

Human Genome Sciences, Inc.

Charles R Wescott

Aaron Sato

Craig A Rosen

Vivian Albert

James P Beltzer

Tom J Parry

Les Sekut

Lili Huang

Indrajit Sanyal

Compositions comprising non-naturally occurring fibrinogen binding moieties are described, together with methods of use thereof, e.g., for detecting or isolating fibrinogen molecules in a solution, for blood circulation imaging, and for linking therapeutics or other molecules to fibrinogen. Preferred binding peptides having a high affinity for fibrinogen are particularly disclosed.

Fibrinogen binding moieties

The present invention provides binding moieties for fibrin which have a variety of uses wherever detecting, isolating or localizing fibrin, and particularly fibrin as opposed to fibrinogen, is advantageous. Particularly disclosed are synthetic, isolated polypeptides capable of binding fibrin and recognizing the form of polymerized fibrin found in thrombi. In addition, the polypeptides have a slow dissociation rate from fibrin, which improves their ability to form a contrast image at the site of a fibrin clot, making the disclosed binding moieties particularly useful as imaging agents for thrombi.

Fibrin binding moieties useful as imaging agents

Binding polypeptides comprising specific amino acid sequences are disclosed that specifically bind ACE-2 protein or ACE-2-like polypeptides. The binding polypeptides can be used in methods of the invention for detecting, isolating, or purifying ACE-2 protein or ACE-2-like polypeptides in solutions or mixtures, or biological samples. The invention also relates to nucleic acid molecules encoding these ACE-2 binding polypeptides, vectors and host cells containing these nucleic acids, and methods for producing the same. The present invention also relates to methods and compositions for detecting, diagnosing, prognosing, preventing, treating or ameliorating a disease or disorder associated with aberrant ACE-2 or ACE-2 receptor expression or inappropriate function of ACE-2 or ACE-2 receptor, comprising use of ACE-2 binding polypeptides or fragments or variants thereof, that specifically bind to ACE-2.

Methods and compositions for modulating ACE-2 activity

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Belmont, MA, United States of America

Charles R Wescott