FUSION PROTEINS AND METHODS FOR TREATING, PREVENTING OR AMELIORATIONG PAIN

摘要

A single chain, polypeptide fusion protein, comprising: a non-cytotoxic protease, which protease is capable of cleaving a protein of the exocytic fusion apparatus of a nociceptive sensory afferent; a galanin Targeting Moiety that is capable of binding to a Binding Site on the nociceptive sensory afferent, which Binding Site is capable of undergoing endocytosis to be incorporated into an endosome within the nociceptive sensory afferent; a protease cleavage site at which site the fusion protein is cleavable by a protease, wherein the protease cleavage site is located between the non-cytotoxic protease and the galanin Targeting Moiety; a translocation domain that is capable of translocating the protease from within an endosome, across the endosomal membrane and into the cytosol of the nociceptive sensory afferent; a first spacer located between the non-cytotoxic protease and the protease cleavage site, wherein said first spacer comprises an amino acid sequence of from 4 to 25 amino acid residues; and a second spacer located between the galanin Targeting Moiety and the translocation domain, wherein said second spacer comprises an amino acid sequence of from 4 to 35 amino acid residues. Nucleic acid sequences encoding the polypeptide fusion proteins, methods of preparing same and uses thereof are also described.

主权项

1. A single chain, polypeptide fusion protein, comprising:
a non-cytotoxic protease, which protease cleaves a protein of the exocytic fusion apparatus of a nociceptive sensory afferent; a galanin Targeting Moiety that binds to a Binding Site on the nociceptive sensory afferent, which Binding Site endocytoses to be incorporated into an endosome within the nociceptive sensory afferent; a protease cleavage site at which site the fusion protein is cleavable by a protease, wherein the protease cleavage site is located between the non-cytotoxic protease and the galanin Targeting Moiety; a translocation domain that translocates the protease from within an endosome, across the endosomal membrane and into the cytosol of the nociceptive sensory afferent, wherein the Targeting Moiety is located between the protease cleavage site and the translocation domain; a first spacer located between the non-cytotoxic protease and the protease cleavage site, wherein said first spacer comprises an amino acid sequence of from 4 to 25 amino acid residues; a second spacer located between the galanin Targeting Moiety and the translocation domain, wherein said second spacer comprises an amino acid sequence of from 4 to 35 amino acid residues.