Patent Evaluation: Bioactive EGF Peptides for Promotion of Tissue Regeneration and Cancer Therapy

Summary

Novelty: Cyclic peptides, which are similar in sequence to a fragment of epidermal growth factor between amino acid residues 32 and 48, the end of the B loop, and the entire C loop of the native EGF peptide, are disclosed. The peptide is potentially useful for the treatment of tumours and in the promotion of wound healing, especially burn wounds and peptic ulcers.

Biology: The kinetics of EGF-r stimulation, the inhibition of ¹⁴⁵I EGF binding, the effect of synthetic peptide pretreatment on EGF-stimulated ornithine decarboxylase induction, and the effect of EGF, or cyclic peptide, on the growth of A431 cells, were evaluated and are described with the aid of diagrams.

Chemistry: The selected peptide fragment's amino acid sequence was synthesized using standard techniques. It was converted from oligomer form to linear form and subsequently cyclized using K₃FeCN₆. A preferred peptide comprises an amino acid sequence: NCVVG-YIGERCOYROLK and has a carboxyl end amide group and an amino end acetyl group.