Fusion proteins comprising an engineered knottin peptide and uses thereof

US10844106B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University · US

Inventors

• Jennifer R. Cochran · Stanford, US
• Douglas Jones · Newton, US
• Mihalis Kariolis · South San Francisco, US
• Ping-Chuan Tsai · Fremont, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 7, 2011
• Grant date: Nov 24, 2020
• Expiry date: Jun 19, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07K2319/00
• WIPO field: Biotechnology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The present disclosure presents a general approach to engineering existing protein-protein interactions through domain addition and evolution. The disclosure teaches the creation of novel fusion proteins that include knottin peptides where a portion of the knottin peptide is replaced with a sequence that has been created for binding to a particular target. Such fusion proteins can also be bispecific or multi specific in that they can bind to and/or inhibit two or more receptors or receptor ligands. Knottins may be fused with an existing ligand (or receptor) as a general platform for increasing the affinity of a ligand-receptor interaction or for creating a multi specific protein. In addition, the fusion proteins may comprise a knottin peptide fused to another protein where the other protein facilitates proper expression and folding of the knottin.