| abstract |
The invention relates to proteins comprising angiogenesis inhibiting peptides, such as endostatin peptides (including, but not limited to, fragments and variants thereof), which exhibit anti-retroviral activity, fused or conjugated to albumin (including, but not limited to fragments or variants of albumin). These fusion proteins are herein collectively referred to as 'albumin fusion proteins of the invention.' These fusion proteins are herein collectively referred to as 'albumin fusion proteins of the invention.' These fusion proteins exhibit extended shelf-life and/or extended or therapeutic activity in solution. The invention encompasses therapeutic albumin fusion proteins, compositions, pharmaceutical compositions, formulations and kits. The invention also encompasses nucleic acid molecules encoding the albumin fusion proteinsof the invention, as well as vectors containing these nucleic acuds, host cells transformed with these nucleic acids and vectors, and methods of making the albumin fusion proteins of the invention using these nucleic acids, vectors, and/or host cells. The invention also relates to compositions and methods for inhibiting proliferation of vascular endothelial cells and tumor aniogenesis induced cell fusion. The invention further relates to compositions and methods preventing growth of, or promoting regression of, primary tumors and metastases; and for treating cancer, diabetic retinophathy, progressive macular degeneration or rheumatoid arthritis. |