Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) analogs and uses thereof

1. An isolated peptide comprising the amino acid sequence

CYRSRKYSSWYVALKRC 

(SEQ ID NO: 1).

2. An isolated nucleic acid encoding the peptide of claim 1 .

3. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the peptide of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

4. An isolated peptide comprising the amino acid sequence

(SEQ ID NO: 1)

CYRSRKYSSWYVALKRC,

wherein one or more sites of proteolysis have been deleted or substituted, and wherein the one or more sites of proteolysis are arginine residues.

5. A method of preventing or treating a disorder affecting rapidly proliferating tissue wherein the disorder is due to radiation exposure comprising administering to a subject an effective amount of a composition comprising the peptide of claim 1 , thereby preventing or treating the disorder affecting rapidly proliferating tissue or one or more symptoms thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the disorder is alimentary mucositis.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the disorder is oral mucositis.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the disorder is gastrointestinal mucositis.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the disorder is a disorder of hematopoiesis.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the disorder is anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, or a clotting disorder.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the disorder is bone marrow failure, graft-versus-host disease, radiation induced prostatitis, vaginitis, urethritis, or a cardiovascular/central nervous system syndrome.

12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the radiation exposure results in diarrhea, skin burn, sores, fatigue, dehydration, inflammation, hair loss, ulceration of alimentary tract mucosa, xerostomia, bleeding, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 5 , wherein an effective amount of the composition is administered to a subject who is going to be exposed to radiation, or a subject who has been exposed to radiation but prior to the disorder or a symptom thereof developed in the subject.

14. The method of claim 5 , wherein an effective amount of the composition is administered to a subject who has been exposed to radiation and who has developed a disorder or a symptom thereof.

15. The method of claim 5 , wherein the effective amount of the composition is administered to the subject in a single dose.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the single dose of the composition is administered to a subject no more than 24 hours before the subject's exposure to radiation.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the single dose of the composition is administered to a subject no more than 48 hours before the subject's exposure to radiation.

18. The method of claim 5 , wherein the effective amount of the composition is administered to the subject in two or more doses.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the composition is administered to the subject both before the subject's exposure to radiation and after the subject's exposure to radiation.

20. The method of claim 5 , wherein the composition is administered by parenteral route.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the administration is by intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal, or intranasal administration.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the subject is a human.

23. The method of claim 5 , wherein the subject is a mammal.

24. A method of promoting angiogenesis in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a composition comprising the peptide of claim 1 , thereby promoting angiogenesis in the subject.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the angiogenesis takes place at the site of a wound.

26. A method for promoting wound healing in a subject in need of such treatment comprising administering to the subject a wound-healing effective amount of a composition comprising the peptide of claim 1 , thereby promoting wound healing in the subject.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the composition is delivered systemically.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the composition is delivered topically.

29. The method of claim 26 , wherein the composition is administered to tissue.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the tissue is selected from the group consisting of epidermal, eye, skin, uro-genital, gastro-intestinal, cardiovascular, muscle, connective, and neural.

31. A method of stimulating hematopoietic stem cell proliferation comprising administering to a subject a composition comprising the peptide of claim 1 , thereby stimulating hematopoietic stem cell proliferation.

32. A method of optimizing hematopoietic stem cell engraftment comprising administering to a subject a composition comprising the peptide of claim 1 , thereby optimizing hematopoietic stem cell engraftment.

33. A method of stimulating gastrointestinal stem cell proliferation comprising administering to a subject a composition comprising the peptide of claim 1 , thereby stimulating gastrointestinal stem cell proliferation.

34. A method to stimulate growth and proliferation of cells in a vertebrate animal comprising administering to a vertebrate subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of a composition comprising the peptide of claim 1 , thereby stimulating growth and proliferation of cells in a vertebrate animal.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the cells are crypt cells.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the cells are in the gastrointestinal tract.

37. An isolated peptide comprising a dimer, wherein the dimer comprises SEQ ID NO: 1.

38. A method for treating an aneurysm in a vertebrate animal comprising introducing an embolus generating vaso-occlusive device into the aneurysm, wherein the vaso-occlusive device comprises an effective amount of a composition comprising the peptide of claim 1 , thereby treating an aneurysm in a vertebrate animal.

39. A vaso-occlusive device, comprising an effective amount of a composition that augments fibroblast growth factor activity, which composition comprises the peptide of claim 1 .

40. A method to treat ulcerative colitis in a vertebrate animal comprising administering to a vertebrate subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of a composition comprising the peptide of claim 1 , thereby treating ulcerative colitis in a vertebrate animal.

41. A defined, isotonic culture medium comprising the peptide of claim 1 , sufficient to support growth of substantially undifferentiated mammalian stem cells.

42. A culture medium according to claim 41 , wherein the mammalian stem cells are primate stem cells.

43. A culture medium according to claim 42 , wherein the primate stem cells are primate primordial stem cells.

44. A culture medium according to claim 43 , wherein the primate primordial stem cells are human primordial stem cells.

45. A culture medium according to claim 44 , wherein the human primordial stem cells are human embryonic stem cells.