Mycobacteria tuberculosis chaperonin 60.1 peptides and uses thereof

1. An isolated or recombinant peptide molecule consisting of an amino acid sequence selected from one of the group (i) to (viii):

(i)

(SEQ ID NO: 2)

XHGLNVNTLSYGD

wherein X is absent or is selected from the group consisting of a beta alanine residue, 9-amino-3,6-dioxaoctanoic acid, and an acetyl group; or variants thereof comprising one or more of i(i) to i(iii);

i(i) one or more amino acid residues are in the D conformation,

i(ii) GLNVNTLSYGD (SEQ ID NO: 26) is inverted, or

i(iii) the carboxyl terminal amino acid residue is converted to a primary carboxamide group

(ii)

(SEQ ID NO: 3)

DGSVVVNKVSEL-NH2;

(iii)

(SEQ ID NO: 4)

SELPAGHGLNVNTLSYGDLAAD;

(iv)

(SEQ ID NO: 5)

SELPAGHGLNVNTLS;

(v)

(SEQ ID NO: 6)

PAGHGLNVNTLS-NH2;

(vi)

(SEQ ID NO: 7)

VVVNKVSELPAGHGLNVNTLSYGDLAAD;

(vii)

(SEQ ID NO: 8)

NKVSELPAGHGLNVNTLSYGDLAAD;

(viii)

(SEQ ID NO: 9)

PAGHGLNVNTLSYGDLAAD;

and

(ix)

(SEQ ID NO: 10)

HGLNVNTLSYGDLAAD.

2. The isolated or recombinant peptide molecule according to claim 1 , consisting of an amino acid sequence selected from one of the group (a) to (m):

(a)

(SEQ ID NO: 11)

XHGLNVNTLSYGD-NH2

(b)

(SEQ ID NO: 12)

XdGysltnvnlGh-NH2;

(c)

(SEQ ID NO: 13)

XhGlnvntlsyGd-NH2;

(d)

(SEQ ID NO: 14)

hGLNVNTLSYGd-NH2;

(e)

(SEQ ID NO: 15)

HGLNVNTLSYGd-NH2;

(f)

(SEQ ID NO: 16)

hGLNVNTLSYGD-NH2;

(g)

(SEQ ID NO: 3)

DGSVVVNKVSEL-NH2;

(h)

(SEQ ID NO: 4)

SELPAGHGLNVNTLSYGDLAAD;

(i)

(SEQ ID NO: 5)

SELPAGHGLNVNTLS;

(j)

(SEQ ID NO: 6)

PAGHGLNVNTLS-NH2;

(k)

(SEQ ID NO: 7)

VVVNKVSELPAGHGLNVNTLSYGDLAAD;

(l)

(SEQ ID NO: 8)

NKVSELPAGHGLNVNTLSYGDLAAD;

(m)

(SEQ ID NO: 9)

PAGHGLNVNTLSYGDLAAD;

and

(n)

(SEQ ID NO: 10)

HGLNVNTLSYGDLAAD;

wherein upper case denotes an L-amino acid residue, lower case denotes a D-amino acid residue, X is absent or is selected from the group consisting of a beta alanine residue, 9-amino-3,6-dioxaoctanoic acid, and an acetyl group.

3. The isolated or recombinant peptide molecule according to claim 1 , consisting of an amino acid sequence HGLNVNTLSYGD-NH2 (SEQ ID NO: 17).

4. The isolated or recombinant peptide molecule according to claim 1 , consisting of an amino acid sequence bAla-HGLNVNTLSYGD-NH2 (SEQ ID NO: 18).

5. The isolated or recombinant peptide molecule according to claim 1 , consisting of an amino acid sequence Ac-dGysltnvnlGh-NH2 (SEQ ID NO: 19), Ac-hGlnvntlsyGd-NH2 (SEQ ID NO: 20).

6. The isolated or recombinant peptide molecule according to claim 1 , consisting of an amino acid sequence hGLNVNTLSYGd-NH2 (SEQ ID NO: 14) or a functionally equivalent fragment or variant thereof; or an amino acid sequence HGLNVNTLSYGd-NH2 (SEQ ID NO: 15).

7. The isolated or recombinant peptide molecule according to claim 1 , consisting of an amino acid sequence hGLNVNTLSYGD-NH2 (SEQ ID NO: 16) or a functionally equivalent fragment or variant thereof; or an amino acid sequence DGSVVVNKVSEL-NH2 (SEQ ID NO: 3).

8. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the peptide molecule according to claim 1 and one or more pharmaceutically-acceptable excipients.

9. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 8 , further comprising one or more additional therapeutic agents.

10. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 9 , wherein the additional therapeutic agent is selected from disease modifying agents, analgesics, broncodilators, anti-inflammatory agents, anti-allergic drugs, allergen immunotherapeutic agents, antivirals, antibiotics, antibodies and steroids.

11. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 9 , wherein the additional therapeutic agent is selected from corticosteroids, anti-leukotrienes, cytokine monoclonal antibodies and theophylline.