| abstract |
The present invention relates to compounds which inhibit or antagonize the binding of methylglyoxal (MG) and/or other reactive carbonyl species (RCS) to an arginine- or lysine- containing protein, preferably an arginine- or lysine-containing cellular protein, such as a sodium ion channel, e.g. the sodium ion channel Na(v)1.8. Preferred scavenger compounds are peptides comprising several or multiple repeats of the amino acid sequence motif Gly-Glu-X-Pro (GEXP), wherein X is Arg or Lys, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. The present invention furthermore relates to the use of the compounds as scavenger or antagonists of methylglyoxal and/or related reactive carbonyl species (RCS). The present invention furthermore relates to the use of the compounds for the prevention and/or treatment of pain, hyperalgesia and pain related diseases, in particular pain and/or hyperalgesia caused by or associated with methylglyoxal and/or reactive carbonyl species (RCS). |