Proteinaceous compounds and uses therefor

1. A method of altering at least one of (i) formation; (ii) proliferation; (iii) maintenance; (iv) epithelial to mesenchymal cell transition; or (v) mesenchymal to epithelial cell transition of a PKC-θ overexpressing cell, comprising contacting said PKC-θ overexpressing cell with an isolated or purified proteinaceous molecule represented by Formula I:

Z 1 X 1 X 2 X 3 X 4 IDX 5 PPX 6 X 7 X 8 X 9 X 10 X 11 Z 2   (I)

wherein:

“Z 1 ” and “Z 2 ” are independently absent or are independently selected from at least one of a proteinaceous moiety comprising from about 1 to about 50 amino acid residues, and a protecting moiety;

“X 1 ” is absent or is selected from basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 2 ” and “X 3 ” are independently selected from basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 4 ” is selected from charged amino acid residues including R, K, D, E and modified forms thereof;

“X 5 ” is absent or is W or modified forms thereof;

“X 6 ” is selected from aromatic or basic amino acid residues including F, Y, W, R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 7 ” is selected from basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 8 ” is absent or is P or modified forms thereof;

“X 9 ” is selected from basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 10 ” is selected from hydrophobic residues including V, L, I, M and modified forms thereof and P and modified forms thereof;

“X 11 ” is selected from basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the PKC-θ overexpressing cell is a cancer stem cell or a non-cancer stem cell tumor cell.

3. A method of treating or preventing a cancer in a subject, wherein the cancer comprises at least one PKC-θ overexpressing cell, comprising administering to the subject an isolated or purified proteinaceous molecule represented by Formula I as defined in claim 1 .

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “X 1 ” is absent or is R.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “X 2 ” is R.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “X 3 ” is K.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “X 4 ” is E or R.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “X 5 ” is absent or is W.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “X 6 ” is F or R.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “X 7 ” is R.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “X 9 ” is K.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “X 10 ” is V or P.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “X 11 ” is K.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “Z 1 ” is a proteinaceous molecule represented by Formula II:

X 12 X 13 X 14 X 15 X 16   (II)

wherein:

“X 12 ” is absent or is a protecting moiety;

“X 13 ” is absent or is selected from P and basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 14 ” is absent or is selected from P and basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 15 ” is absent or is selected from P and basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 16 ” is absent or is selected from P and basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein “Z 1 ” and “Z 2 ” are absent.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the proteinaceous molecule of Formula I comprises an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 or 2:

[SEQ ID NO: 1]

RKEIDPPFRPKVK

or

[SEQ ID NO: 2]

RRKRIDWPPRRKPK.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the proteinaceous molecule of Formula I further comprises at least one membrane permeating moiety, wherein the membrane permeating moiety is a myristoyl group.

18. An isolated or purified proteinaceous molecule represented by Formula I:

Z 1 X 1 X 2 X 3 X 4 IDX 5 PPX 6 X 7 X 8 X 9 X 10 X 11 Z 2   (I)

wherein:

“Z 1 ” and “Z 2 ” are independently absent or are independently selected from at least one of a proteinaceous moiety comprising from about 1 to about 50 amino acid residues, and a protecting moiety;

“X 1 ” is absent or is selected from basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 2 ” and “X 3 ” are independently selected from basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 4 ” is selected from charged amino acid residues including R, K, D, E and modified forms thereof;

“X 5 ” is absent or is W or modified forms thereof;

“X 6 ” is selected from aromatic or basic amino acid residues including F, Y, W, R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 7 ” is selected from basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 8 ” is absent or is P or modified forms thereof;

“X 9 ” is selected from basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

“X 10 ” is selected from hydrophobic residues including V, L, I, M and modified forms thereof and P or modified forms thereof;

“X 11 ” is selected from basic amino acid residues including R, K and modified forms thereof;

wherein the proteinaceous molecule is other than a proteinaceous molecule consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1:

[SEQ ID NO: 1]

RKEIDPPFRPKVK.

19. The proteinaceous molecule according to claim 18 , wherein “X 1 ” is absent or is R.

20. The proteinaceous molecule according to claim 18 , wherein “X 2 ” is R.

21. The proteinaceous molecule according to claim 18 , wherein “X 3 ” is K.

22. The proteinaceous molecule according to claim 18 , wherein “X 4 ” is E or R.

23. The proteinaceous molecule according to claim 18 , wherein “X 5 ” is absent or is W.

24. The proteinaceous molecule according to claim 18 , wherein “X 6 ” is F or R.

25. The proteinaceous molecule according to claim 18 , wherein “X 7 ” is R.

26. The proteinaceous molecule according to claim 18 , wherein “X 9 ” is K.

27. The proteinaceous molecule according to claim 18 , wherein “X 10 ” is V or P.

28. The proteinaceous molecule according to claim 18 , wherein “X 11 ” is K.

29. The proteinaceous molecule according to claim 18 , wherein the proteinaceous molecule comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2:

[SEQ ID NO: 2]

RRKRIDWPPRRKPK.