Description:
Tech ID: 2012-004 Title: Peptide Mimics for Treatment of GM-1 Associated Diseases Including Cholera and Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Current State of the Art: Ganglioside GM1-associated diseases or infections are prevalent worldwide, and hundreds of millions of people are infected, or diagnosed, with ganglioside GM1-associated diseases each year. Exemplary diseases or disorders involving GM1 include, but are not limited to cholera, Guillain–Barré Syndrome (GBS), lupus, and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection.
Problems in the Current Art: Existing treatments for disorders involving GM1 are limited and often have undesirable side effects. For example, conventional treatment strategies for GBS rely heavily on the removal of pathogenic anti-glycolipid antibodies (anti-GM1 antibodies) from the blood. Also, existing cholera treatments such as vaccines are expensive and require complex logistics for distribution.
Advantages of the Invention: Compositions that inhibit or block ligand binding to GM1 and methods of their use are provided. Preferred compositions include peptides that inhibit or block ligand binding under physiologic conditions to GM1 in a subject. This treatment can be used prophylactically and replaces expensive vaccine based treatments that are prohibitive in cost and distribution for areas endemic with cholera.