Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide methods for harnessing the potential of proteins that occur naturally (e.g., in humans) and that have serious but finite toxicity. Aspects of the invention relate to a quantitative systems-biological and structural approach to design a class Mof chimeric proteins that avoid the toxicity of protein drugs while retaining their desired activities. In particular, chimeric proteins containing a variant form of a natural protein fused to a targeting moiety may be administered to a subject to target a signal (e.g., induction of apoptosis) to particular cells without having a generalized toxic effect.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 5, 2008
Date of Patent:
December 27, 2022
Assignee:
President and Fellows of Harvard CoHege
Inventors:
Pamela A. Silver, Pablo Gabriel Cironi Lopez, David G. Miguez