Abstract: The present invention is directed to a peptide or polypeptide comprising an Fv molecule, a construct thereof, a fragment of either, or a construct of a fragment having enhanced binding characteristics so as to bind selectively and/or specifically to a target cell in favor of other cells, wherein the binding selectivity or specificity is primarily determined by a first hypervariable region, and wherein the Fv is a scFv or a dsFv, and optionally having one or more tags. The enhanced binding is directed to a substantially exposed and/or over-expressed binding site on or in a target comprising a cell in favor of other cells on or in which the binding site is not substantially available and/or expressed. The invention is further directed to a method for isolating such peptides and polypeptides from a phage display library and to the nucleic acid molecules encoding them.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel peptides and polypeptides that specifically bind to target cells and may have anti-cancer activity, especially blood-related cancers. The present invention includes a peptide or polypeptide comprising an Fv molecule, having a heavy variable chain comprising CDR3, CDR2 and CDR1 regions comprising the amino acid sequences SEQ ID NOS:8, 115 and 114, respectively.

Abstract: This invention provides an imaging agent which comprises a polypeptide labeled with an imageable marker, such polypeptide having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin. The invention further provides a method wherein the imaging agent is used for imaging a fibrin-containing substance, i.e., a thrombus or atherosclerotic plaque. Further provided are plasmids for expression of polypeptides having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin, hosts containing these plasmids, methods of producing the polypeptides, methods of treatment using the polypeptides, and methods of recovering, refolding and reoxidizing the polypeptides.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a peptide or polypeptide comprising an Fv molecule, a construct thereof, a fragment of either, or a construct of a fragment having enhanced binding characteristics so as to bind selectively and/or specifically to a target cell in favor of other cells, wherein the binding selectivity or specificity is primarily determined by a first hypervariable region, and wherein the Fv is a scFv or a dsFv, and optionally having one or more tags. The enhanced binding is directed to a substantially exposed and/or over-expressed binding site on or in a target comprising a cell in favor of other cells on or in which the binding site is not substantially available and/or expressed. The invention is further directed to a method for isolating such peptides and polypeptides from a phage display library and to the nucleic acid molecules encoding them.

Abstract: This invention provides an imaging agent which comprises a polypeptide labeled with an imageable marker, such polypeptide having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin. The invention further provides a method wherein the imaging agent is used for imaging a fibrin-containing substance, i.e., a thrombus or atherosclerotic plaque. Further provided are plasmids for expression of polypeptides having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin, hosts containing these plasmids, methods of producing the polypeptides, methods of treatment using the polypeptides, and methods of recovering, refolding and reoxidizing the polypeptides.

Abstract: This invention provides an imaging agent which comprises a polypeptide labeled with an imageable marker, such polypeptide having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin. The invention further provides a method wherein the imaging agent is used for imaging a fibrin-containing substance, i.e., a thrombus-or atherosclerotic plaque. Further provided are plasmids for expression of polypeptides having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin, hosts containing these plasmids, methods of producing the polypeptides, methods of treatment using the polypeptides, and methods of recovering, refolding and reoxidizing the polypeptides.

Abstract: This invention provides an imaging agent which comprises a polypeptide labeled with an imageable marker, such polypeptide having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin. The invention further provides a method wherein the imaging agent is used for imaging a fibrin-containing substance, i.e., a thrombus or atherosclerotic plaque. Further provided are plasmids for expression of polypeptides having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin, hosts containing these plasmids, methods of producing the polypeptides, methods of treatment using the polypeptides, and methods of recovering, refolding and reoxidizing the polypeptides.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recombinant polypeptide having the amino acid sequence X-tyr.sup.26 -gly.sup.110 where tyr.sup.26 -gly.sup.110 is identical to the sequence shown in FIG. 10, and wherein X is methionine or absent and wherein asn.sup.72 may be substituted by pro.The invention further provides a method of producing the polypeptide which comprises transforming a host cell with an expression plasmid encoding the polypeptide, culturing the transformed host cell so that the cell produces the polypeptide encoded by the plasmid, and a method of recovering the polypeptide so produced.

Abstract: This invention provides an imaging agent which comprises a polypeptide labeled with an imageable marker, such polypeptide having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin. The invention further provides a method wherein the imaging agent is used for imagifig a fibrin-containing substance, i.e., a thrombus or atherosclerotic plaque. Further provided are plasmids for expression of polypeptides having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin, hosts containing these plasmids, methods of producing the polypeptides, methods of treatment using the polypeptides, and methods of recovering, refolding and reoxidizing the polypeptides.

Abstract: This invention provides an imaging agent which comprises a polypeptide labeled with an imageable marker, such polypeptide having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin. The invention further provides a method wherein the imaging agent is used for imaging a fibrin-containing substance, i.e., a thrombus or atherosclerotic plaque. Further provided are plasmids for expression of polypeptides having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin, hosts containing these plasmids, methods of producing the polypeptides, methods of treatment using the polypeptides, and methods of recovering, refolding and reoxidizing the polypeptides.

Abstract: This invention provides an imaging agent which comprises a polypeptide labeled with an imageable marker, such polypeptide having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin. The invention further provides a method wherein the imaging agent is used for imaging a fibrin-containing substance, i.e., a thrombus or atherosclerotic plaque. Further provided are plasmids for expression of polypeptides having an amino acid sequence substantially present in the fibrin binding domain of naturally-occurring human fibronectin and being capable of binding to fibrin, hosts containing these plasmids, methods of producing the polypeptides, methods of treatment using the polypeptides, and methods of recovering, refolding and reoxidizing the polypeptides.