Compounds and methods for treating bone disorders and controlling weight

1. A method for enhancing bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption simultaneously in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a peptide selected from the group consisting of:

a) a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence KHHLGLEEPKKLR (SEQ ID NO:1), plus an additional 0, 1, 2 or 3 amino acid residues at the carboxy terminus;

b) a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence KHHLGLEEPKK (SEQ ID NO:2), plus an additional 0, 1, 2 or 3 amino acid residues at the carboxy terminus;

c) a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence HLGLEEPKKLR (SEQ ID NO:3), plus an additional 0, 1, 2 or 3 amino acid residues at the carboxy terminus;

d) a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence KHHLGLEEPKKLR (SEQ ID NO:1), wherein the K or H at positions 1, 2, or 3 is substituted with arginine or lysine, the L at positions 4 or 6 is substituted with I or V, the K at positions 10 or 11 is substituted with H or R, the L at position 12 is substituted with I or V and/or the R at position 13 is substituted with K or H, plus an additional 0, 1, 2 or 3 amino acid residues at the carboxy terminus;

e) a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of any of the peptides of (a) through (d); and

f) any combination of (a) through (e) above,

in an amount effective to enhance bone formation and inhibit bone resorption simultaneously in said subject.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peptide has a polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety coupled to either terminus thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the PEG moiety is coupled to a cysteine residue.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said administration is selected from the group consisting of subcutaneous administration, oral administration, intravenous administration, intraperitoneal administration, intramuscular administration, administration via an implant, administration via a matrix, administration via a gel, and any combination thereof.

5. A method for inducing deposition and maturation of bone in a subject having a compromised bone condition, comprising administering to said subject a peptide selected from the group consisting of:

a) a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence KHHLGLEEPKKLR (SEQ ID NO:1), plus an additional 0, 1, 2, or 3 amino acid residues at the carboxy terminus;

b) a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence KHHLGLEEPKK (SEQ ID NO:2), plus an additional 0, 1, 2, or 3 amino acid residues at the carboxy terminus;

c) a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence HLGLEEPKKLR (SEQ ID NO:3), plus an additional 0, 1, 2, or 3 amino acid residues at the carboxy terminus;

d) a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence KHHLGLEEPKKLR (SEQ ID NO:1), wherein the K or H at positions 1, 2, or 3 is substituted with arginine or lysine, the L at positions 4 or 6 is substituted with I or V, the K at positions 10 or 11 is substituted with H or R, the L at position 12 is substituted with I or V and/or the R at position 13 is substituted with K or H, plus an additional 0, 1, 2, or 3 amino acid residues at the carboxy terminus;

e) a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of any of the peptides (a) through (d); and

f) any combination of (a) through (e) above,

in an amount effective to induce deposition and maturation of bone in said subject.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the peptide has a polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety coupled to either terminus thereof.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the PEG moiety is coupled to a cysteine residue.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein said compromised bone condition is at a targeted site of said subject.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the targeted site is selected from the group consisting of an intervertebral space, a facet joint, a site of a bone fracture, a bone of the mouth, a bone of the chin, a bone of the jaw, an implant site and any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the condition is selected from the group consisting of a broken bone, a bone defect, a bone transplant, a bone graft, bone cancer, a joint replacement, a joint repair, a fusion, a facet repair, a bone degeneration, a dental implant, a dental repair, a bone marrow deficit and any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the bone defect is a gap, deformation or a nonunion fracture in a bone.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the bone defect is due to dwarfism.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the bone degeneration is due to osteopenia or osteoporosis.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the joint replacement is of a joint selected from the group consisting of a vertebral joint, a knee joint, a hip joint, a tarsal joint, a phalangeal joint, an elbow joint, a shoulder joint, an ankle joint, a wrist joint, a sacroiliac joint and any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the joint repair is of a joint selected from the group consisting of a vertebral joint, a knee joint, a hip joint, a tarsal joint, a phalangeal joint, an elbow joint, a shoulder joint, an ankle joint, a wrist joint, a sacroiliac joint and any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising administering a bone resorption inhibitor to said subject in an effective amount.

17. A method for enhancing bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption simultaneously in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject:

a) a peptide consisting of a fragment of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2), said fragment being between 11 and 16 amino acid residues in length and comprising the amino acid sequence:

i) KHHLGLEEPKKLR (SEQ ID NO: 1);

ii) KHHLGLEEPKK (SEQ ID NO: 2);

iii) HLGLEEPKKLR (SEQ ID NO: 3); or

iv) KHHLGLEEPKKLR (SEQ ID NO: 1), wherein the K or H at positions 1, 2, or 3 is substituted with arginine or lysine, the L at positions 4 or 6 is substituted with I or V, the K at positions 10 or 11 is substituted with H or R, the L at position 12 is substituted with I or V and/or the R at position 13 is substituted with K or H; or

b) a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of a);

in an amount effective to enhance bone formation and inhibit bone resorption simultaneously in said subject.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the peptide has a polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety coupled to the N- or to the C-terminal thereof.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the PEG moiety is coupled to a cysteine residue.