Novel JNK Inhibitor Molecules

A JNK inhibitor, selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a JNK inhibitor, which comprises an inhibitory polypeptide sequence according to the following general formula:
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 1)
• X1-X2-X3-R-X4-X5-X6-L-X7-L-X8,
• wherein X1 is an amino acid selected from amino acids R, P, Q and r,
• wherein X2 is an amino acid selected from amino acids R, P, G and r,
• wherein X3 is an amino acid selected from amino acids K, R, k and r,
• wherein X4 is an amino acid selected from amino acids P and K,
• wherein X5 is an amino acid selected from amino acids T, a, s, q, k or is absent,
• wherein X6 is an amino acid selected from amino acids T, D and A,
• wherein X7 is an amino acid selected from amino acids N, n, r and K;
• and
• wherein X8 is an amino acid selected from F, f and w, and
• wherein an amino acid residue given in capital letters indicates an L-amino acid, and an amino acid residue given in lower case letters indicates a D amino acid residue,
• with the proviso that at least one of the amino acids selected from the group consisting of X1, X2, X3, X5, X7 and X8 is/are a D-amino acid(s), and
• b) a JNK inhibitor which comprises an inhibitory polypeptide sequence sharing at least at least 80% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:
• 1 as defined in a),
• with the proviso that with respect to SEQ ID NO:
• 1 such inhibitory polypeptide sequence sharing sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:
• 1 maintains the L-arginine (R) residue of SEQ ID NO:
• 1 at position 4 and the two L-leucine (L) residues of SEQ ID NO:
• 1 at positions 8 and 10 and that at least one of the remaining amino acids in said sequence sharing at least 80% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:
• 1 is a D-amino acid.