HAEMOPOIETIC GROWTH FACTOR ANTAGONISTS; RELATES TO MODIFIED FORMS OF SUCH FACTORS

摘要

PCT No. PCT/AU94/00432 Sec. 371 Date Apr. 8, 1996 Sec. 102(e) Date Apr. 8, 1996 PCT Filed Jul. 28, 1994 PCT Pub. No. WO95/04075 PCT Pub. Date Feb. 9, 1995The present invention relates to modified and variant forms of haemopoietic growth factors (HGF) capable of acting as antagonists to the corresponding native haemopoietic growth factors and their use in ameliorating aberrant effects caused by the native molecules. A modified haemopoietic growth factor (HGF) is characterized by being in unglycosylated form and comprising a sequence of amino acids within a first alpha -helix wherein one or more exposed amino acids in said first alpha -helix having acidic or acidic-like properties are substituted with a basic amino acid residue. The preferred HGF are granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin (IL)-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-9, IL-10, G-CSF and erythropoietin (EPO).