Immunostimulating peptides

A peptide consisting of or comprising a sequence variant of the amino acid sequence LQNRRGLGLSILLNEEC (SEQ ID NO:

• 1), wherein the sequence variant comprises at least one amino acid change compared to SEQ ID NO:
• 1 in any one of residues 1-7 and 15-17 but no amino acid changes in residues 8-14, and wherein the peptide stimulates secretion and/or expression of cytokines when supplied in an effective concentration to THP-1 cells or PBMCs stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
• wherein the peptide has the formula I
• (I)
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 8)
• Z1Z2Z3X1X2 Z4 Z5GLSILLNX3X4X5
• wherein
• Z1 is L or absent,
• Z2 is Q or absent,
• Z3 is N or absent,
• Z4, is G or absent,
• Z5 is L or absent,
• X1 is R or K or absent,
• X2 is R or K or absent,
• X3 is E or absent,
• X4 is E or absent, and
• X5 is C or absent,
• with the proviso that Formula I does not have the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 1,
• and wherein
• if Z1 is present then Z2-Z5, X1, and X2 are all present;
• if Z2 is present, then Z3-Z5, X1, and X2 are all present;
• if Z3 is present, then Z4 and Z5, X1, and X2 are all present;
• if Z4 is present, then Z5, X1, and X2 are all present;
• and
• if X1 is present, then X2 is present,
• and wherein
• Z1 is present, or
• Z2 is present, or
• Z3 is present, or
• Z4 is present, or
• Z5 is present, or
• X1 is present, or
• X2 is present.

A pharmaceutical composition comprising a peptide selected from the group consisting of

• a peptide consisting of or comprising a sequence variant of the amino acid sequence LQNRRGLGLSILLNEEC (SEQ ID NO:
• 1), wherein the sequence variant comprises at least one amino acid change compared to SEQ ID NO:
• 1 in any one of residues 1-7 and 15-17 but no amino acid changes in residues 8-14, and wherein the peptide stimulates secretion and/or expression of cytokines when supplied in an effective concentration to THP-1 cells or PBMCs stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and wherein the sequence variant comprises deletion of one or more of residues 15-17;
• a peptide consisting of or comprising a sequence variant of the amino acid sequence LQNRRGLGLSILLNEEC (SEQ ID NO:
• 1), wherein the sequence variant comprises at least one amino acid change compared to SEQ ID NO:
• 1 in any one of residues 1-7 and 15-17 but no amino acid changes in residues 8-14, and wherein the peptide stimulates secretion and/or expression of cytokines when supplied in an effective concentration to THP-1 cells or PBMCs stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and wherein the amino acid in position 4 is substituted with an amino acid residue selected from the group of amino acids that increase the charge at neutral pH of the peptide compared to SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• and
• a peptide consisting of or comprising a sequence variant of the amino acid sequence LQNRRGLGLSILLNEEC (SEQ ID NO:
• 1), wherein the sequence variant comprises at least one amino acid change compared to SEQ ID NO:
• 1 in any one of residues 1-7 and 15-17 but no amino acid changes in residues 8-14, and wherein the peptide stimulates secretion and/or expression of cytokines when supplied in an effective concentration to THP-1 cells or PBMCs stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
• wherein the peptide has the formula I
• (I)
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 8)
• Z1Z2Z3X1X2 Z4 Z5GLSILLNX3X4X5
• wherein
• Z1 is L or absent,
• Z2 is Q or absent,
• Z3 is N or absent,
• Z4, is G or absent,
• Z5 is L or absent,
• X1 is R or K or absent,
• X2 is R or K or absent,
• X3 is E or absent,
• X4 is E or absent, and
• X5 is C or absent,
• with the proviso that Formula I does not have the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:
• 1,
• and wherein
• if Z1 is present then Z2-Z5, X1, and X2 are all present;
• if Z2 is present, then Z3-Z5, X1, and X2 are all present;
• if Z3 is present, then Z4 and Z5, X1, and X2 are all present;
• if Z4 is present, then Z5, X1, and X2 are all present;
• and
• if X1 is present, then X2 is present,
• and wherein
• Z1 is present, or
• Z2 is present, or
• Z3 is present, or
• Z4 is present, or
• Z5 is present, or
• X1 is present, or
• X2 is present.