Peptides used as agonists and/or inhibitors of amyloid formation and cytotoxicity and also for use in alzheimer's disease, in type ii diabetes mellitus and in spongiform encephalophathies

Abstract

Certain peptide molecules can be used as the basic structures (template molecules) for inhibiting and analysing amyloid formation and cytotoxicity in amyloid illnesses. These peptides have an effect on the molecules which are responsible for the amyloid illnesses (for their part amyloid-forming peptides and proteins). The peptides are thus either inhibitors themselves or agonists of amyloid formation and cytotoxicity or can serve as a template for identifying and producing further inhibitors and agonists and can be used as molecular tools during analysis. The peptide molecules have generally 3-15 amino acids, and preferably a maximum of 10 amino acids, and at least an active peptide sequence GA, preferably GAI, and even more preferably one selected from the group consisting of GAIL, SEQ ID NO: 1; FGAIL, SEQ ID NO: 2; NFGAIL, SEQ ID NO: 3; NNFGAIL, SEQ ID NO: 4; SNNFGAIL, SEQ ID NO: 5; NFGAILSS, SEQ ID NO: 6; SNNFGAILSS, SEQ NO: 7; or the group consisting of GAII, SEQ ID NO: 8; KGAII, SEQ ID NO: 9; NKGAII, SEQ ID NO: 10; SNKGAII, SEQ ID NO: 11; GSNKGAII, SEQ ID NO: 12; NKGAIIGL, SEQ ID NO: 13; GSNKGAIIGL, SEQ ID NO: 14; or the group consisting of GAVV, SEQ ID NO: 15; AGAVV, SEQ ID NO: 16; VAAGAVV, SEQ ID NO: 17; HVAAGAVV, SEQ ID NO: 18; AAGAVVGG, SEQ ID NO: 19; HVAAGAVVGG, SEQ ID NO: 20; AAGAVV, SEQ ID NO: 21. The peptide sequence generally has at least one hydrogen molecule, and preferably every second hydrogen molecule, of an amide bond replaced by a methyl group.