Protease resistant mutants of stromal cell derived factor-1 in the repair of tissue damage

A fusion protein comprising the formula:

• A—(L)n—(R)q, wherein:
• A is an isolated mutant form of stromal cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1) peptide comprising the formula mSDF-1 or Xp-mSDF-1, wherein mSDF-1 comprises the amino acid sequence of at least amino acids 1-8 of SEQ ID NO:52 and which is optionally extended at the C terminus of amino acids 1-8 of SEQ ID NO:
• 52 by all or any portion of the remaining sequence of SEQ ID NO:52, shown as amino acids 9-68 of the full-length of SEQ ID NO:
• 52 and the amino acids 1-8 comprises a mutation at the fourth and/or fifth amino acids from the N terminus of the amino acids 1-8 of SEQ ID NO:52, and wherein:
• a) X is a proteinogenic amino acid or a protease protective organic group;
• b) p is an integer from 1 to 4;
• and
• c) the mutant form of SDF-1 peptide has chemoattractant activity for T cells, is inactivated by dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) at a rate that is less than one-half of the rate at which native SDF-1 is inactivated, and is inactivated by MMP-2 at a rate that is less than one-half of the rate at which native SDF-1 is inactivated;
• L is a linker sequence of 3-9 amino acids;
• R is a self-assembling peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs:
• 1-51;
• n is an integer from 0-3;
• and
• q is an integer from 1-3.