Methods of wound healing and treating hyperproliferative diseases of epidermis comprising administering trunicated keratinocyte growh factor (KGF) having increased biological activity

摘要

The present invention relates to a keratiniocyte growth factor fragment, KGF.sub.des1-23, or an analog thereof that is composed of a portion of an amino acid sequence of mature, full length keratinlocyte growth factor, KGF.sub.163. The fragment exhibits at least a 2-fold increase in mitogenic activity as compared to a mature, recombinant keratinocyte growth factor, rKGF, but lacks a sequence comprising the first 23 amino acid residues, C-N-D-M-T-P-E-Q-M-A-T-N-V-N-C-S-S-P-E-R-H- T-R- (SEQ ID NO: 2) of the KGF.sub.163 N-terminus. The present invention also relates to a DNA molecule encoding KGF.sub.des1-23, an expression vector and a transformed host containing the DNA molecule, and a method of producing KGF.sub.des1-23 by culturing the transformed host. The present invention further relates to a conjugate of KGF.sub.des1-23 and a toxin molecule, and the use thereof for treatment of hyperproliferative disease of the epidermis. Moreover, the present invention relates to a therapeutic composition containing KGF.sub.des1- 23 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and the use thereof for wound healing purposes.