The University of Texas System

University of Houston System

Robert Fox

Robert J Schwartz

James M Briggs

Hua Zhang

Scott R Gilbertson

Steven Bark

Alan D Barrett

Michael Holbrook

Xiuzhen Fan

John W Craft

Kevin MacKenzie

Reza Abbasgholizadeh

The present disclosure describes peptide inhibitors of Rho-associtated-kinase (ROCK) and their use in treating disorders including heart failure, the leading cause of combined morbidity and mortality in the United States. An inhibitory polypeptide blocks ROCK1 activity in the presence of 1 mM ATP. The binding epitope on ROCK1 was mapped using chemical cross-linking to the Activation Loop, a novel locus identifying a new class of inhibitory drugs. The peptides described will be useful against a number of important diseases such as heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, arterial hypertension, glaucoma management, insulin resistance, kidney disease, hemolytic anemia, stroke, ischemia reperfusion injury, or acute myeloid leukemia.

Rho associated kinase (ROCK) inhibitors and their use in treating disease

Disclosed are polypeptides which include an amino acid sequence corresponding to CCXXXCKEGXXC (SEQ ID NO:1). Also disclosed are methods for inhibiting the activity of a flavivirus or other virus by contacting the virus with a miniprotein ligand under conditions effective for the miniprotein ligand to bind to the virus. Methods for detecting a flavivirus or other virus in a sample by contacting the sample with a miniprotein ligand and determining whether the miniprotein ligand is bound to a flavivirus or other virus as also disclosed, as are methods of assessing a compound's usefulness in inhibiting the activity of a flavivirus or other virus.

Miniprotein ligands and other polypeptides and methods for making and using same

Growing community of inventors

Galveston, TX, United States of America

Robert Fox