Modulating cytokine or hormone signalling in an animal comprising up-regulating the expression of socs sequence in the animal

A method of modulating cytokine or hormone signalling in an animal and in particular a human, said method comprising up-regulating expression of a genetic sequence encoding a SOCS protein or increasing in said animal and wherein said SOCS protein comprises a protein:molecule interaction region such as but not limited to an SH2 domain, WD-40 repeats and/or ankyrin repeats, N-terminal of a SOCS box, wherein said SOCS box comprises the amino acid sequence:—

• X1X2X3X4X5X7X8X9X10X11X12X13X14X15X16[Xi]nX17X18X19X20X21X22X23[Xj]nX24X25X26X27X28
• wherein:
• X1 is L, I, V, M, A or P;
• X2 is any amino acid residue;
• X3 is P, T or S;
• X4 is L, I, V, M, A or P;
• X5 is any amino acid;
• X6 is any amino acid;
• X7 is L, I, V, M, F, Y or W;
• X8 is C, T or S;
• X9 is R, K or H;
• X10 is any amino acid;
• X11 is any amino acid;
• X12 is L, I, V, M, A or P,
• X13 is any amino acid;
• X14 is any amino acid;
• X15 is any amino acid;
• X16 is L, I, V, M, A, P, G, C, T or S;
• [Xi]n is a sequence of n amino acids wherein n is from 1 to 50 amino acids and wherein the sequence Xi may comprise he same or different amino acids selected from any amino acid residue;
• X17 is L, I, V, M, A or P;
• X18 is any amino acid;
• X19 is any amino acid;
• X20 is L, I, V, M, A or P;
• X21 is P;
• X22 is V, M, A, P or G;
• X23 is P or N;
• [Xj]n is a sequence of n amino acids wherein n is from 0 to 50 amino acids and wherein the Xj may comprise the same or different amino acids selected from any amino acid residue;
• X24 is L, I, V, M, A or P;
• X25 is any amino acid;
• X26 is any amino acid,
• X27 is Y or F;
• X28 is L, I, V, M, A or P.