Granted Patent B2

US 12,305,217 · App. 18/063,812 · Granted May 20, 2025

Inventors: Faycal Touti (Belmont, MA); Wendy Winckler Adamovich (Melrose, MA); Sophie Cazanave (Cambridge, MA); Mehar Cheema (Medford, MA); Robert S. Langer (Newton, MA)

Assignee: Sunbird Bio, Inc.

C12Q1/37G01N21/6428G01N33/542G01N33/573G01N33/582G01N2021/6432G01N2021/6439G01N2021/6441G01N2333/95G01N2800/085G01N2800/26G01N2800/7028

Abstract

Claims (31)

1. A method, comprising:

a. collecting a body fluid sample from a subject;

b. contacting the body fluid sample from the subject with one or more synthetic molecules ex vivo,

i. wherein said one or more synthetic molecules comprise a plurality of reporters and a plurality of cleavable peptide linkers, wherein a first cleavable peptide linker of said plurality of cleavable peptide linkers is coupled to a first reporter of said plurality of reporters, wherein a second cleavable peptide linker of said plurality of cleavable peptide linkers is coupled to a second reporter of said plurality of reporters, and wherein the reporter of said plurality of reporters is directly connected to the cleavable peptide linker of said plurality of cleavable peptide linkers through a covalent bond,

ii. wherein said one or more synthetic molecules react with a plurality of extracellular or circulating enzymes from said body fluid sample, wherein a first enzyme of said plurality of extracellular or circulating enzymes cleaves said first cleavable peptide linker and releases said first reporter from said one or more synthetic molecules, wherein said release of said first reporter forms a first detectable signal, and wherein a second enzyme of said plurality of extracellular or circulating enzymes cleaves said second cleavable peptide linker and releases said second reporter from said one or more synthetic molecules, wherein said release of said second reporter forms a second detectable signal; and

c. detecting said first detectable signal or said second detectable signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said body fluid sample is selected from the group consisting of blood, plasma, bone marrow fluid, lymphatic fluid, saliva, spinal fluid, synovial fluid, semen, and vaginal fluid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of extracellular or circulating enzymes comprises disease-related proteases.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said disease-related proteases are selected from the group consisting of an A20 (TNFa-induced protein 3), an abhydrolase domain containing 4, an abhydrolase domain containing 12, an abhydrolase domain containing 12B, an abhydrolase domain containing 13, an acrosin, an acylaminoacyl-peptidase, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM), an ADAM1a, an ADAM2 (Fertilin-b), an ADAM3B, an ADAM4, an ADAM4B, an ADAM5, an ADAM6, an ADAM7, an ADAM8, an ADAM9, an ADAM10, an ADAM11, an ADAM12 metalloprotease, an ADAM15, an ADAM17, an ADAM18, an ADAM19, an ADAM20, an ADAM21, an ADAM22, an ADAM23, an ADAM28, an ADAM29, an ADAM30, an ADAM32, an ADAM33, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS), an ADAMTS1, an ADAMTS2, an ADAMTS3, an ADAMTS4, an ADAMTS5/11, an ADAMTS6, an ADAMTS7, an ADAMTS8, an ADAMTS9, an ADAMTS10, an ADAMTS12, an ADAMTS13, an ADAMTS14, an ADAMTS15, an ADAMTS16, an ADAMTS17, an ADAMTS18, an ADAMTS19, an ADAMTS20, an adipocyte-enh. binding protein 1, an Afg3-like protein 1, an Afg3-like protein 2, an airway-trypsin-like protease, an aminoacylase, an aminopeptidase A, an aminopeptidase B, an aminopeptidase B-like 1, an aminopeptidase MAMS/L-RAP, an aminopeptidase N, an aminopeptidase O, an aminopeptidase P homologue, an aminopeptidase P1, an aminopeptidase PILS, an aminopeptidase Q, an aminopeptidase-like 1, an AMSH/STAMBP, an AMSH-LP/STAMBPL1, an angiotensin-converting enzyme 1 (ACE1), an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), an angiotensin-converting enzyme 3 (ACE3), an anionic trypsin (II), an apolipoprotein (a), an archaemetzincin-1, an archaemetzincin-2, an aspartoacylase, an aspartoacylase-3, an aspartyl aminopeptidase, an ataxin-3, an ataxin-3 like, an ATP/GTP binding protein 1, an ATP/GTP binding protein-like 2, an ATP/GTP binding protein-like 3, an ATP/GTP binding protein-like 4, an ATP/GTP binding protein-like 5, an ATP23 peptidase, an autophagin-1, an autophagin-2, an autophagin-3, an autophagin-4, an azurocidin, a beta lactamase, a beta-secretase 1, a beta-secretase 2, a bleomycin hydrolase, a brain serine proteinase 2, a BRCC36 (BRCA2-containing complex, sub 3), a calpain, a calpain 1, a calpain 2, a calpain 3, a calpain 4, a calpain 5, a calpain 6, a calpain 7, a calpain 7-like, a calpain 8, a calpain 9, a calpain 10, a calpain 11, a calpain 12, a calpain 13, a calpain 14, a calpain 15 (Solh protein), a cysteine protease, a carboxypeptidase A1, a carboxypeptidase A2, a carboxypeptidase A3, a carboxypeptidase A4, a carboxypeptidase A5, a carboxypeptidase A6, a carboxypeptidase B, a carboxypeptidase D, a carboxypeptidase E, a carboxypeptidase M, a carboxypeptidase N, a carboxypeptidase O, a carboxypeptidase U, a carboxypeptidase X1, a carboxypeptidase X2, a carboxypeptidase Z, a carnosine dipeptidase 1, a carnosine dipeptidase 2, a caspase recruitment domain family, member 8, a caspase, a caspase-1, a caspase-2, a caspase-3, a caspase-4/11, a caspase-5, a caspase-6, a caspase-7, a caspase-8, a caspase-9, a caspase-10, a caspase-12, a caspase-14, a caspase-14-like, a casper/FLIP, a cathepsin, a cathepsin A (CTSA), a cathepsin B (CTSB), a cathepsin C (CTSC), a cathepsin D (CTSD), a cathepsin E (CTSE), a cathepsin F, a cathepsin G, a cathepsin H (CTSH), a cathepsin K (CTSK), a cathepsin L (CTSL), a cathepsin L2, a cathepsin O, a cathepsin S (CTSS), a cathepsin V (CTSV), a cathepsin W, a cathepsin Z (CTSZ), a cationic trypsin, a cezanne/OTU domain containing 7B, a cezanne-2, a CGI-58, a chymase, a chymopasin, a chymosin, a chymotrypsin B, a chymotrypsin C, a coagulation factor IXa, a coagulation factor VIIa, a coagulation factor Xa, a coagulation factor XIa, a coagulation factor XIIa, a collagenase 1, a collagenase 2, a collagenase 3, a complement protease C1r serine protease, a complement protease C1s serine protease, a complement C1r-homolog, a complement component 2, a complement component C1ra, a complement component C1sa, a complement factor B, a complement factor D, a complement factor D-like, a complement factor I, a COPS6, a corin, a CSN5 (JAB1), a cylindromatosis protein, a cytosol alanyl aminopep.-like 1, a cytosol alanyl aminopeptidase, a DDI-related protease, a DECYSIN, a Derl-like domain family, member 1, a Derl-like domain family, member 2, a Derl-like domain family, member 3, a DESC1 protease, a desert hedgehog protein, a desumoylating isopeptidase 1, a desumoylating isopeptidase 2, a dihydroorotase, a dihydropyrimidinase, a dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 1, a dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 2, a dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 3, a dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 4, a dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 5, a DINE peptidase, a dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP), a dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP1), a dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP4), a dipeptidyl-peptidase 6 (DPP6), a dipeptidyl-peptidase 8 (DPP8), a dipeptidyl-peptidase 9 (DPP9), a dipeptidyl-peptidase II, a dipeptidyl-peptidase III, a dipeptidyl-peptidase 10 (DPP10), a DJ-1, a DNA-damage inducible protein, a DNA-damage inducible protein 2, a DUB-1, a DUB-2, a DUB2a, a DUB2a-like, a DUB2a-like2, a DUB6, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of extracellular or circulating enzymes comprises an endoprotease or an exoprotease.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said endoprotease comprises a design of XmAYn or AXnB, wherein A is a single amino acid and A and B are amino acid pairs recognized by a particular endoprotease, X and Y are any amino acid labeled or not with a reporter, and m, and n are zero or any integer.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said exoprotease comprises a design of XmAYn or AXnB, wherein A is a single amino acid and A and B are amino acid pairs recognized by a particular exoprotease, X and Y are any amino acid labeled or not with a reporter, and m, and n are zero or any integer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of cleavable peptide linkers comprises at least one amino acid sequence of SEQ ID Nos: 1-677.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of reporters comprises a fluorescent label comprising a 5-carboxyfluorescein (5-FAM), a 7-amino-4-carbamoylmethylcoumarin (ACC), a 7-Amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC), a 2-Aminobenzoyl (Abz), a Cy7, a Cy5, a Cy3 or a (5-((2-Aminoethyl)amino)naphthalene-1-sulfonic acid) (EDANS).

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said one or more synthetic molecules further comprise a fluorescent quencher comprising a BHQ0, BHQ1, BHQ2, BHQ3, BBQ650, ATTO 540Q, ATTO 580Q, ATTO 612Q, CPQ2, QSY-21, QSY-35, QSY-7, QSY-9, DABCYL (4-([4′-dimethylamino)phenyl]azo)benzoyl), Dnp (2,4-dinitrophenyl) or Eclipse.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more synthetic molecules further comprise a carrier.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said carrier comprises a native, labeled or synthetic protein, a synthetic chemical polymer of precisely known chemical composition or with a distribution around a mean molecular weight, an oligonucleotide, a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO), a foldamer, a lipid, a lipid micelle, a nanoparticle, a solid support made of polystyrene, polypropylene or any other type of plastic, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said nanoparticle ranges in size from 10 nm to 100 nm.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a disease or condition of said subject based on said detecting of said first detectable signal or said second detectable signal.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said disease or condition comprises a cancer.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said cancer comprises adenoid cystic carcinoma, adrenal gland tumors, amyloidosis, anal cancer, appendix cancer, astrocytoma, ataxia-telangiectasia, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome, bladder cancer, bone cancer (sarcoma of the bone), brain stem glioma, brain tumors, breast cancer, Carney complex, central nervous system tumors, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, Cowden Syndrome, craniopharyngioma, Desmoid tumors, desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma, ependymoma, esophageal cancer, Ewing sarcoma, eye cancer, eyelid cancer, familial adenomatous polyposis, familial GIST, familial malignant melanoma, familial pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), germ cell tumors, gestational trophoblastic disease, head and neck cancer, breast and ovarian cancer, diffuse gastric cancer, leiomyosarcoma and renal cell cancer, mixed polyposis syndrome, papillary renal carcinoma, juvenile polyposis syndrome, kidney cancer, lacrimal gland tumors, laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer, leukemia, myeloid leukemia, lymphoblastic leukemia, eosinophilic leukemia, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, liver cancer, lung cancer, Hodgkin lung cancer, non-Hodgkin lung cancer, Lynch syndrome, mastocytosis, medulloblastoma, melanoma, meningioma, mesothelioma, multiple endocrine neoplasia, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome, nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, neuroblastoma, neuroendocrine tumors, neurofibromatosis, nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, oral and oropharyngeal cancer, osteosarcoma, ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, peritoneal cancer, pancreatic cancer, parathyroid cancer, penile cancer, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, phenochromocytoma, paraganglioma, pituitary gland tumors, pleuropulmonary blastoma, prostate cancer, retinoblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, salivary gland cancer, Kaposi sarcoma, soft tissue sarcoma, sarcoma, non-melanoma skin cancer, small bowel cancer, stomach cancer, testicular cancer, thymoma and thymic carcinoma, thyroid cancer, tuberous sclerosis complex, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer, von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, vulvar cancer, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, Werner syndrome, Wilms tumors, or xeroderma pigmentosum, or any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein said cancer is not pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma or non-small cell lung cancer.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining a stage of said disease or condition.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein said disease or condition is a certain fibrosis stage or a certain nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS) of Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein said subject is a human subject.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein in (c), detecting said first detectable signal or said second detectable signal comprises detecting a rate of formation or an amount of said first detectable signal or said second detectable signal.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein in (c), said detecting comprises detecting said first detectable signal and said second detectable signal.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein a synthetic molecule of said one or more synthetic molecules comprises said first cleavable peptide linker, said first reporter, said second cleavable peptide linker, and said second reporter.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first synthetic molecule of said one or more synthetic molecules comprises said first cleavable peptide linker and said first reporter, and wherein a second synthetic molecule of said one or more synthetic molecules comprises said second cleavable peptide linker and said second reporter.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first reporter and said second reporter are different.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first reporter and said second reporter are the same.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (363)

Cited By (1)

US 12,492,422