Gadd45beta targeting agents

1. A method of treating hematological cancer comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I:

X 1 -A-X 2

wherein,

A is an oligopeptide moiety or an oligopeptoid moiety comprising the residues Y 1 -Y 2 -Y 3 -Y 4

Y1 is D-tryptophan

or D-tyrosine

Y4 is D-phenylalanine

D-tryptophan

or D-tyrosine

Y2 is an amino acid residue in the D-configuration or a residue of an amino acid derivative in the D-configuration or is absent;

Y3 is an amino acid residue in the D-configuration or a residue of an amino acid derivative in the D-configuration or is absent;

X 1 is absent, or is a moiety added to the -amino terminal of A in order to block the free amino group;

X 2 is absent or is an amino moiety added to the carbonyl acid terminal of the oligopeptide sequence so as to form an amide bond;

or derivatives thereof, said derivatives being selected from the group consisting of:

a) oligomers or multimers of molecules of the compound of formula I, said oligomers and multimers comprising two or more molecules of the compound of formula I each linked to a common scaffold moeity via an amide bond formed between an amino or carboxylic acid group present in molecules of the compound of formula I and an opposite amino or carboxylic acid group on a scaffold moiety said scaffold moiety participating in at least 2 amide bonds,

b) derivatives comprising a molecule of the compound of formula I or an oligomer or multimer thereof as defined above in part (a) conjugated via an amide bond, an ester bond, an ether bond or a thioether bond to:

PEG,

PEG-based compounds,

cell-penetrating peptides,

fluorescent dyes,

biotin or other tag moiety,

fatty acids,

nanoparticles of discrete size

or chelating ligands complexed with metallic or

radioactive ions, and

c) derivatives comprising a molecule of the compound of formula I or an oligomer or multimer thereof as defined in part (a) which has been modified by amidation, glycosylation, carbamylation, acylation, sulfation, phosphylation, cyclization, lipidation, pegylation or linkage to a peptide or peptiod fusion partner to make a fusion peptide or fusion peptiod,

and

d) salts and solvates of a molecule of the compound of formula I or of a derivative thereof as defined in part (a) or (b) above.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said hematological cancer depends on (a) NF-κB or Gadd45β or (b) NF-κB and Gadd45β for its survival, growth or survival and growth in human.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising measuring (i) expression or activity level of Gadd45β or (ii) expression and activity level of Gadd45β in suspected hematological cancer cells of the subject prior to said administration of the compound.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said hematological cancer is multiple myeloma, Burkitt's lymphoma; promonocytic leukemia, or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

5. The method of treating hematological cancer comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of Formula I in accordance with claim 1 .

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said hematological cancer depends on (a) NF-κB or Gadd45β or (b) NF-κB and Gadd45β for its survival and/or growth in humans.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said hematological cancer is multiple myeloma, Burkitt's lymphoma; promonocytic leukemia, or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.