The Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Roger C Guillemin

Nicholas C Ling

Frederick S Esch

Paul E Brazeau, Jr

Shao-Yao Ying

Peter Bohlen

Naoto Ueno

Shunichi Shimasaki

Fred S Esch

Jean E Rivier

Wylie W Vale, Jr

Fred Harrison Gage

Jasodhara Ray

Joachim Spiess

Joan Vaughan

Robert A Benoit

Anne Corrigan

Richard A McClintock

Solange Lavielle

The present invention is directed to compositions comprising 1-(&bgr;-D-ribofuranosyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole compounds and either endogenous or exogenous neurotrophic factors. Methods of using such compounds and compositions are also provided. In one aspect, the invention provides methods of using invention compositions and compounds to enhance neurite outgrowth, neuronal survival and neuronal proliferation in mammalian cells. In a preferred embodiment, a 1-(&bgr;-D-ribofuranosyl)1H-1,2,4-triazole compound is infused directly to a desired situs. In a more preferred embodiment the 1-(&bgr;-D-ribofuranosyl)-1,2,4-triazole compound is administered orally. In another aspect, the invention provides methods of treating a neurological disease in a mammal subject. In a further aspect, the invention provides methods of treating neuronal trauma in a mammal subject.

Pharmaceutical composition comprising ribavirin and growth factors and methods of use

Two follistatin proteins with inhibin-like activity were isolated from porcine follicular fluid using heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, followed by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 and then six steps of high-performance liquid chromatography. The larger protein has 315 residues and is believed to be glycosylated. The smaller protein is a 288-residue, C-terminally shortened version thereof. These proteins specifically inhibit basal secretion of FSH, but not of LH, in a rat anterior pituitary monolayer culture system. The half-maximal effective dose for both is 2.5-6.0 ng/ml. Human and rat follistatins exhibit very high homology with the porcine protein, with the human differing from porcine in only 4 residues out of 315 and with the rat differing from porcine in only 8 residues out of 315. Using the porcine amino acid sequence information, cDNA clones encoding these proteins were identified from a porcine ovarian cDNA library. Then, using the porcine cDNA as a probe, the cloning and sequencing of the corresponding human and rat proteins were accomplished.

DNA encoding follistatin

Two follistatin proteins with inhibin-like activity were isolated from porcine follicular fluid using heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, followed by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 and then six steps of high-performance liquid chromatography. Each isolated molecule is a monomer having a molecular weight of at least about 32,000 daltons. Microsequencing revealed the NH.sub.2 -terminal portions both to be Gly-Asn-Cys-Trp-Leu-Arg-Gln-Ala-Lys-Asn-Gly-Arg-Cys-Gln-Val-Leu. The larger protein has 315 residues and is believed to be glycosylated. The smaller protein is a 288-residue, C-terminally shortened version thereof. These proteins specifically inhibit basal secretion of FSH, but not of LH, in a rat anterior pituitary monolayer culture system. The Half-maximal effective dose for both is 2.5-6.0 ng/ml. Human and rat follistatins exhibit very high homology with the porcine protein, with the human differing from porcine in only 4 residues out of 315 and with the rat differing from porcine in only 8 residues out of 315.

Mammalian follistatin

A 28,000-dalton protein with FSH-releasing activity is isolated from porcine follicular fluid in a multi-step procedure including gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography and several reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography steps. The 28 kD protein promotes secretion of FSH, but not of LH, in a rat anterior pituitary monolayer culture system, exhibiting an EC.sub.50 of 0.5 ng/ml. These peptides are dimers of inhibin .beta.-chains of mammals, and homodimers or heterodimers of the .beta..sub.A and .beta..sub.B chains are biologically active to regulate fertility of various mammalian species, including humans.

FSH-releasing peptides

Two 32,000-dalton proteins with inhibin activity were isolated from porcine follicular fluid using heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, followed by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 and then four steps of reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Each isolated molecular is composed of two chains having molecular weights of about 18,000 and about 14,000 daltons, respectively, which are bound together by disulfide bonding. Microsequencing revealed the NH.sub.2 -terminal portion of the 18K chain of both to be Ser-Thr-Ala-Pro-Leu-Pro-Trp-Pro-Trp-Ser-Pro-Ala-Ala-Leu-Arg-Leu-Leu-Gln-Ar g-Pro-Pro-Glu-Glu-Pro-Ala-Val, of one of the 14K chains to be Gly-Leu-Glu-Cys-Asp-Gly-Arg-Thr-Asn-Leu-Cys-Cys-Arg-Gln-Gln-Phe-Phe-Ile-As p-Phe-Arg-Leu-Ile-Gly-Trp, and of the other 14K chain to be Gly-Leu-Glu-Cys-Asp-Gly-Lys-Val-Asn-Ile-Cys-Cys-Lys-Lys-Gln-Phe-Phe-Val-Se r-Phe-Lys-Asp-Ile-Gly-Trp-Asn-Asp-Trp-Ile-Ile-Ala-Pro. Both proteins have now been completely characterized, each having a first chain 134 residues long linked by disulfide bonding to a second chain 116 or 115 residues long. The first chain is believed to be glycosylated, which accounts for the disparity between the number of residues and the apparent molecular weight of 18K. These 32K proteins specifically inhibit basal secretion of FSH, but not of LH, in a rat anterior pituitary monolayer culture system. The half-maximal effective does of one is 450 pg/ml and of the other is 900 pg/ml.

Inhibin and method of purifying same

The invention provides synthetic peptides which are extremely potent in stimulating the release of pituitary GH in mammals and which have the formula: H-Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser- Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Met-Ser-Arg-Gln-Gln-Gly-Glu-Arg-Asn-Gln-Glu -Gln-Gly-Ala-Arg-Val-Arg-Leu-Y wherein Y is OH or NH.sub.2. These peptides or biologically active fragments thereof, or analogs thereof having well-known substitutions and, or additions, as well as nontoxic salts of any of the foregoing, may be administered therapeutically to mammals, including humans, and may be used diagnostically. The peptides are useful in stimulating the release of GH and accelerating growth in warm-blooded non-human animals, particularly pigs, and in improving aquiculture.

Porcine GRF

The invention provides synthetic peptides which are extremely potent in stimulating the release of pituitary GH in mammals and which have the formula: H-Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser- Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Met-Asn-Arg-Gln-Gln-Gly-Glu-Arg-Asn-Gln-Glu -Gln-Gly-Ala-Lys-Val-Arg-Leu-Y wherein Y is OH or NH.sub.2. These peptides or biologically active fragments thereof, or analogs thereof having well-known substitutions and/or additions, as well as nontoxic salts of any of the foregoing, may be administered therapeutically to mammals, including humans, and may be used diagnostically. The peptides are useful in stimulating the release of GH so as to accelerate growth in warm-blooded non-human animals, particularly cattle, and/or to increase the production of milk in lactating cows, and also in improving aquiculture.

Bovine GRF

PGRF has been synthesized. The invention provides synthetic peptides which are extremely potent in stimulating the release of pituitary GH in mammals and which have the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is OH or NH.sub.2, R.sub.34 is Ser or Ala, R.sub.38 is Arg or Ser, R.sub.40 is Ala or Arg and R.sub.41 is Arg, Arg-Ala, Arg-Ala-Arg, Arg-Ala-Arg-Leu or des-R.sub.41. These peptides or biologically active fragments thereof, or analogs thereof having well-known substitutions and/or additions, as well as nontoxic salts of any of the foregoing, may be administered therapeutically to mammals, including humans, and may be used diagnostically.

Mammalian PGRF

A substantially purified substance has been isolated from bovine gonadal secretions which mediates pituitary hormone secretion, using an extraction and purification sequence that includes gel filtration, partition chromatography and HPLC in that order. The substance, designated gonadostatin, is a moderate-size peptide which below a threshold level selectively inhibits LRF-stimulated pituitary secretion of LH and FSH. Above a threshold level, gonadostatin generally stimulates pituitary hormone secretion.

Gonadostatin

28-member residue and 25-member residue peptides have been synthesized containing the tetradecapeptide somatostatin that are more potent than somatostatin. Somatostatin-28 has the formula: ##STR1## The three N-terminal amino acid residues are absent in somatostatin-25. Somatostatin-28 or somatostatin-25 or a pharmaceutically acceptable addition salt thereof, dispersed in a pharmaceutically acceptable liquid or solid carrier, can be administered to mammals in the same manner as somatostatin.

Extended N-terminal somatostatin

Somatostatin (SS) is modified to incorporate a carbohydrate moiety in the peptide chain by linkage to either Asn, Ser or Thr. The modified SS peptide analog may have the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is preferably a hexose or amino-hexose, such as glucose or N-acetylglucosamine. Alternatively, the carbohydrate can be linked to Ser or Thr by an ether bond. Such glycosomatostatins have an extended biological half-life compared to the parent peptide and substantially the same potency. Modifications and substitutions with respect to other amino acid residues in the chain can be made in the glycopeptides, for the purpose of increasing the effectiveness of SS analogs in other ways, and such increased effectiveness is a characteristic of the glycosomatostatin along with its longer-acting biological effect.

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La Jolla, CA, United States of America

Roger C Guillemin