NEUROPROTECTIVE COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF USE
A therapeutic composition for treating brain injury comprising a polyarginine peptide of from 5 to 9 arginines, and further comprising 1 or more terminal cysteines. The composition is administered in therapeutically effective dosages prophylactic ally as soon as possible post-injury in treating neuronal injury.
1 . A polyarginine peptide comprising from 5 to 9 arginines.
2 . The polyarginine peptide of claim 1 further comprising 1 or more terminal cysteines.
3 . The polyarginine peptide of claim 2 comprising at least 2 terminal cysteines, said at least 2 cysteines linked by a disulfide bond.
4 . The polyarginine peptide of claim 2 comprising C-s-s-CRRRRRRR where C is cysteine, C-s-s-C is a disulfide bond between 2 cysteines and R is arginine.
5 . The polyarginine peptide of claim 4 wherein said 2 cysteines are N-terminus linked.
6 . The polyarginine peptide of claim 2 comprising CRRRRRRR. 7. The polyarginine peptide of claim 1 comprising RRRRRRR.
7 . The polyarginine peptide of claim 1 wherein at least 1 arginine is d-arginine.
8 . The polyarginine peptide of claim 2 wherein at least 1 or more said terminal cysteines is d-cysteine.
9 . The polyarginine peptide of claim 1 further comprising up to 2 terminal neutral amino acids.
10 . A therapeutic method of treating actual or anticipated neuronal injury comprising administering a therapeutically effective dose of a polyarginine peptide of from 5 to 9 arginines.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein said polyarginine peptide of claim 9 further comprising 1 or more terminal cysteines
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein said polyarginine peptide is C-s-s-CRRRRRRR.
13 . The method of claim 12 wherein administration is i.v.
14 . The method of claim 13 wherein administration is from about 0.01 mg/kg to about 20 mg/kg.
15 . A method of protecting against glaucoma associated vision damage to at least one eye in a subject comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective dosage of a polyarginine peptide comprising from 5 to 9 arginines and further comprising 1 or more terminal cysteines.
16 . The method of claim 15 wherein said administration is in the form of drops to said at least one eye.