Fungal-specific metalloproteases and uses thereof
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorAngela C. Gelli
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Abstract
The present invention relates to methods of reducing, delaying, preventing and/or inhibiting the progression of a Cryptococcus infection into the central nervous system (CNS) of a subject by inhibiting the activity of a M36 fungalysin metalloprotease (e.g., MPR1) secreted by the Cryptococcus. The invention further provides methods of increasing, promoting and/or enhancing delivery of a therapeutic agent across the blood-brain-barrier, comprising systemically administering the therapeutic agent in conjunction with a M36 fungalysin metalloprotease (e.g., MPR1), or an enzymatically active fragment thereof.
Claims19
An expression cassette comprising a nucleic acid encoding a M36 fungalysin metalloprotease or fragment thereof having at least 95% sequence identity to residues 446-722 of SEQ ID NO:1, operably linked to a heterologous promoter that promotes expression in a mammalian cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.