Antibodies and peptides to treat HCMV related diseases

A therapeutic composition comprising an isolated peptide of less than 30 amino acids comprising the amino acid sequence of formula (I):

• W-Xaa1-Xaa2-Xaa3-Xaa4-Xaa5-Xaa6-Xaa7-F-Xaa8,
• wherein:
• Xaa1, Xaa2, Xaa3, Xaa4, Xaa6 and Xaa7 are selected from the group consisting of:
• Alanine (A), Arginine (R), Asparagine (N), Aspartic acid (D), Cysteine (C), Glutamic acid (E), Glutamine (Q), Glycine (G), Histidine (H), Isoleucine (I), Leucine (L), Lysine (K), Methionine (M), Phenylalanine (F), Proline (P), Serine (S), Threonine (T), Tryptophan (W), Tyrosine (Y), Valine (V), allyl glycine (AllylGly), norleucine, norvaline, biphenylalanine (Bip), citrulline (Cit), 4-guanidinophenylalanine (Phe(Gu)), homoarginine (hArg), homolysine (hLys), 2-naphtylalanine (2-Nal), ornithine (Orn) and pentafluorophenylalanine;
• and Xaa5 and Xaa8 are Phenylalanine (F) or Tyrosine (Y).

A method for treating a HCMV related diseases in a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an isolated peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of formula (I):

• W-Xaa1-Xaa2-Xaa3-Xaa4-Xaa5-Xaa6-Xaa7-F-Xaa8, wherein:
• Xaa1, Xaa2, Xaa3, Xaa4, Xaa6 and Xaa7 are selected from the group consisting of:
• Alanine (A), Arginine (R), Asparagine (N), Aspartic acid (D), Cysteine (C), Glutamic acid (E), Glutamine (Q), Glycine (G), Histidine (H), Isoleucine (I), Leucine (L), Lysine (K), Methionine (M), Phenylalanine (F), Proline (P), Serine (S), Threonine (T), Tryptophan (W), Tyrosine (Y), Valine (V), allyl glycine (AllylGly), norleucine, norvaline, biphenylalanine (Bip), citrulline (Cit), 4-guanidinophenylalanine (Phe(Gu)), homoarginine (hArg), homolysine (hLys), 2-naphtylalanine (2-Nal), ornithine (Orn) and pentafluorophenylalanine;
• and Xaa5 and Xaa8 are Phenylalanine (F) or Tyrosine (Y),
• wherein the isolated peptide is capable of disrupting an interaction between pUL56 and pUL89.

An isolated peptide of less than 30 amino acids comprising the amino acid sequence of formula (I):

• W-Xaa1-Xaa2-Xaa3-Xaa4-Xaa5-Xaa6-Xaa7-F-Xaa8, wherein:
• Xaa1, Xaa2, Xaa3, Xaa4, Xaa6 and Xaa7 are selected from the group consisting of:
• Alanine (A), Arginine (R), Asparagine (N), Aspartic acid (D), Cysteine (C), Glutamic acid (E), Glutamine (Q), Glycine (G), Histidine (H), Isoleucine (I), Leucine (L), Lysine (K), Methionine (M), Phenylalanine (F), Proline (P), Serine (S), Threonine (T), Tryptophan (W), Tyrosine (Y), Valine (V), allyl glycine (AllylGly), norleucine, norvaline, biphenylalanine (Bip), citrulline (Cit), 4-guanidinophenylalanine (Phe(Gu)), homoarginine (hArg), homolysine (hLys), 2-naphtylalanine (2-Nal), ornithine (Orn) and pentafluorophenylalanine, wherein Xaa5 and Xaa8 are Phenylalanine (F) or Tyrosine (Y), and wherein said peptide comprises a non-homologous amino acid as compared to SEQ ID NO:
• 2.