Peptides having thymopoietin-like activity

A method for the treatment of conditions resulting from relative or absolute T cell deficiencies which comprises administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a peptide having the following sequence:

• A--X--Z--Y--B
• and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein A is ##STR21## X is a suitable neutral, aliphatic or aromatic amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of ALA, 2--Me--ALA, GLY, LEU, ILE, LYS, THR, SER, PHE, MET, D--ALA, D--LEU, D--ILE, D--LYS, D--THR, allo--THR, D--SER, D--PHE, D--MET, and SAR;
• Z is ##STR22## Y is GLY, SER, THR, LEU, ILE, VAL, or SAR;
• B is TYR--R', D--TYR--R', decarboxy--TYR, or ##STR23## 3 or 4;
• n is 1, 2, or 3;
• R"' is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl, or C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkanoyl;
• R and R' are terminal groups on said peptide which do not substantially affect the biological capability thereof, said R and R' being selected from the groups consisting of:
• ______________________________________ R R' ______________________________________ Hydrogen OH C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl NH.sub.2 C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl NHR" C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 alkaryl N(R").sub.2 C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aralkyl OR" C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkanoyl -- C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkenyl VAL C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkynyl GLN GLN LEU GLU TYR GLY VAL--GLN GLU--GLN VAL--LEU GLY--GLN VAL--TYR GLY--GLU GLN--LEU GLY--GLU--GLN GLN--TYR GLN--VAL LEU--TYR LEU--LEU TYR--LEU VAL--GLN--LEU VAL--GLN--LEU--TYR VAL--GLN--LEU--TYR--LEU ______________________________________
• wherein R" is C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkynyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aryl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aralkyl, or C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 alkaryl;
• provided that R--ARG--LYS--ASP--VAL--TYR--R' is excluded.

A method for inducing bone marrow cells to develop the characteristics or thymus-derived lymphocytes which comprises administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a peptide having the following sequence:

• A--X--Z--Y--B
• and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein A is ##STR24## X is a suitable neutral, aliphatic or aromatic amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of ALA, 2--Me--ALA, GLY, LEU, ILE, LYS, THR, SER, PHE, MET, D--ALA, D--LEU, D--ILE, D--LYS, D--THR, allo--THR, D--SER, D--PHE, D--MET, and SAR;
• Z is ##STR25## Y is GLY, SER, THR, LEU, ILE, VAL, or SAR;
• B is TYR--R', D--TYR--R', decarboxy--TYR, or ##STR26## 3or 4;
• n is 1, 2, or 3;
• R"' is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl, or C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkanoyl;
• R and R' are terminal groups on said peptide which do not substantially affect the biological capability thereof, said R and R' being selected from the groups consisting of:
• ______________________________________ R R' ______________________________________ Hydrogen OH C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl NH.sub.2 C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl NHR" C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 alkaryl N(R").sub.2 C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aralkyl OR" C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkanoyl -- C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkenyl VAL C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkynyl GLN GLN LEU GLU TYR GLY VAL--GLN GLU--GLN VAL--LEU GLY--GLN VAL--TYR GLY--GLU GLN--LEU GLY--GLU--GLN GLN--TYR GLN--VAL LEU--TYR LEU--LEU TYR--LEU VAL--GLN--LEU VAL--GLN--LEU--TYR VAL--GLN--LEU--TYR--LEU ______________________________________
• wherein R" is C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkynyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aryl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aralkyl, or C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 alkaryl;
• provided that R--ARG--LYS--ASP--VAL--TYR--R' is excluded.

A method for affecting the immune response in the body to assist in the correction of relative or absolute deficiencies of the thymus which comprises administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a peptide having the following sequence:

• A--X--Z--Y--B
• and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein A is ##STR27## X is a suitable neutral, aliphatic or aromatic amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of ALA, 2--Me--ALA, GLY, LEU, ILE, LYS, THR, SER, PHE, MET, D--ALA, D--LEU, D--ILE, D--LYS, D--THR, allo--THR, D--SER, D--PHE, D--MET, and SAR;
• Z is ##STR28## Y is GLY, SER, THR, LEU, ILE, VAL, or SAR;
• B is TYR--R', D--TYR--R', decarboxy--TYR, or ##STR29## 3or 4;
• n is 1, 2, or 3;
• R"' is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl, or C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkanoyl;
• R and R' are terminal groups on said peptide which do not substantially affect the biological capability thereof, said R and R' being selected from the groups consisting of:
• ______________________________________ R R' ______________________________________ Hydrogen OH C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl NH.sub.2 C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl NHR" C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 alkaryl N(R").sub.2 C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aralkyl OR" C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkanoyl -- C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkenyl VAL C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkynyl GLN GLN LEU GLU TYR GLY VAL--GLN GLU--GLN VAL--LEU GLY--GLN VAL--TYR GLY--GLU GLN--LEU GLY--GLU--GLN GLN--TYR GLN--VAL LEU--TYR LEU--LEU TYR--LEU VAL--GLN--LEU VAL--GLN--LEU--TYR VAL--GLN--LEU--TYR--LEU ______________________________________
• wherein R" is C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkynyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aryl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aralkyl, or C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 alkaryl;
• provided that R--ARG--LYS--ASP--VAL--TYR--R' is excluded.

A method for the treatment of conditions resulting from excess neuromuscular activity which comprises administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a peptide having the following sequence:

• A--X--Z--Y--B
• and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein A is ##STR30## X is a suitable neutral, aliphatic or aromatic amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of ALA, 2--Me--ALA, GLY, LEU, ILE, LYS, THR, SER, PHE, MET, D--ALA, D--LEU, D--ILE, D--LYS, D--THR, allo--THR, D--SER, D--PHE, D--MET, and SAR;
• Z is ##STR31## Y is GLY, SER, THR, LEU, ILE, VAL, or SAR;
• B is TYR--R', D--TYR--R', decarboxy--TYR, or ##STR32## 3or 4;
• n is 1, 2, or 3;
• R"' is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl, or C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkanoyl;
• R and R' are terminal groups on said peptide which do not substantially affect the biological capability thereof, said R and R' being selected from the groups consisting of:
• ______________________________________ R R' ______________________________________ Hydrogen OH C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl NH.sub.2 C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 aryl NHR" C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 alkaryl N(R").sub.2 C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aralkyl OR" C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkanoyl -- C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkenyl VAL C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkynyl GLN GLN LEU GLU TYR GLY VAL--GLN GLU--GLN VAL--LEU GLY--GLN VAL--TYR GLY--GLU GLN--LEU GLY--GLU--GLN GLN--TYR GLN--VAL LEU--TYR LEU--LEU TYR--LEU VAL--GLN--LEU VAL--GLN--LEU--TYR VAL--GLN--LEU--TYR--LEU ______________________________________
• wherein R" is C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 alkynyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aryl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aralkyl, or C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 alkaryl;
• provided that R--ARG--LYS--ASP--VAL--TYR--R' is excluded.