Abstract: The present invention relates to the death protease CPP32 in crystallized form and a method for the preparation thereof. The invention further provides a three-dimensional model of CPP32 and improved means for the design of CPP32 modulators.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula I ##STR1## in which R.sub.1 is arylamino, N-aryl-N-(lower alkoxy-lower alkyl)-amino, N-aryl-N-aryl-lower alkyl-amino or heterocyclyl bonded via a ring carbon atom, X is a carbonyl or methylene group, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 independently of one another are hydrogen or lower alkyl or, together with the carbon atom with which they are bonded, are a cycloalkylidene radical, R.sub.4 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkanoyl or lower alkoxycarbonyl, R.sub.5 is hydroxyl, lower alkanoyloxy or lower alkoxycarbonyloxy, R.sub.6 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkyl-lower alkyl, aryl-lower alkyl or heteroaryl-lower alkyl having 5 to 7 ring atoms in the heteroaryl ring and R.sub.7 is hydrogen or lower alkyl, or R.sub.6 and R.sub.7, together with the carbon atom with which they are bonded, are a cydoalkylidene radical and R.sub.

Abstract: Novel compounds of the formula I ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl or are linked to form C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 cycloalkyl and R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are the same or different and are hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, hydroxy, OR.sup.6, SR.sup.6, halogen, NR.sup.7 R.sup.8, NO.sub.2, CN, CONR.sup.7 R.sup.8 or CO.sub.2 R.sup.9 wherein R.sup.6 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.10 aralkyl and R.sup.7, R.sup.8 and R.sup.9 are the same or different and are hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.10 aralkyl or R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bound form 5 or 6 membered azacycloalkyl or oxazacycloalkyl; Arg is arginine ?NH--CH(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH--C(.dbd.NH)--NH.sub.2)--CO!; X is methine CH or nitrogen; n is an integer from 0 to 7; L is a peptide linker, and H is the carboxy terminal end of hirudin, and salts thereof, are provided.