Description:
Title
Composition and Use of Nitration Shielding Peptides in Diseases with Elevated Protein Nitration
Current State of the Art
Elevated nitration of proteins is associated with different diseases and disorders such as acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Effective inhibition of nitration of proteins is an active area of research for drug discoverers.
Problems with the Current Art
Current methods of treating protein nitration and the myriad of pathologies associated therewith are insufficient.
Advantage of the Invention
Researchers at AURI developed novel nitration shielding peptides. The peptide can serve as a substrate for the nitration agent and molecular sink for nitrating agents to block access of the nitrating agents to the target tyrosine on the protein of interest. In lipopolysaccharide-induced ALI in mice, nitration inhibitory peptide for RhoA 1 (NipR1) reduced cell infiltration into bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, prevented dehydration, reduced alveolar damage, increased lung elastance, and preserved lung mechanics (Figure 1). Therefore, nitration shielding peptides can be a promising treatment for ALI, ARDS, and other diseases characterized by elevated protein nitration.
AURI #2014-005
IP: Patent US9447157
Reference: https://www.jbc.org/content/289/8/4710.full