Peptides for treating bone diseases and use thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a novel peptide for preventing or treating bone diseases. Further, the present disclosure relates to a polynucleotide encoding the peptide, a vector including the polynucleotide, a host cell transformed by the vector, and a method for producing the peptide by using the host cell. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a composition for preventing or treating bone diseases, including the novel peptide. The novel peptide according to the present disclosure induces mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells to blood and causes a decrease in the number of osteoclasts, and, thus, decreases bone erosion caused by osteoclasts, thereby suppressing progress of an osteoporotic lesion. Further, the novel peptide is safe since it does not cause rejection in the body. Furthermore, since the novel peptide is formed of 16 short amino acids, a low dose of the peptide can relieve symptoms of osteoporosis.

Claims

1. A method for treating a subject with osteoporosis, comprising: administering a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 in a therapeutically effective amount to the subject in need thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the peptide decreases the expression level of an adhesion factor for a bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell and mobilizes the bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell in bone marrow to bloodstream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the peptide decreases the number of osteoclasts in bone marrow of the subject.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a change in an expression level of an adhesion factor for a bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell when Osteopep2 of the present disclosure is administered.

(2) FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the number of bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells in blood when Osteopep2 of the present disclosure is administered.

(3) FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a mobilization level of Osteopep2 of the present disclosure to blood by using a marker of a bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell.

(4) FIG. 4 illustrates an overview of an experiment conducted to find out an effect of Osteopep2 of the present disclosure on an expression level of an adhesion factor for a bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell.

(5) FIG. 5 illustrates a result of an effect of Osteopep2 of the present disclosure on an expression level of an adhesion factor for a bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell.

(6) FIG. 6 illustrates an overview of an experiment conducted to find out an effect of Osteopep2 of the present disclosure on osteoporosis and treatment thereof.

(7) FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a change in an expression level of an adhesion factor for a bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell when Osteopep2 is administered to an osteoporosis model.

(8) FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the number of bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells in blood when Osteopep2 is administered to an osteoporosis model.

(9) FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a mobilization level of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells to blood when Osteopep2 is administered to an osteoporosis model, by using a marker of a bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell.

(10) FIG. 10 provides micro CT images exhibiting an overall change in bone density when Osteopep2 is administered to an osteoporosis model.

(11) FIG. 11 provides graphs quantifying a change in bone density and a change in trabecular thickness, which are measured by micro CT, when Osteopep2 is administered to an osteoporosis model.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part hereof. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawing, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.

(13) Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to Examples. However, Examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Example 1. Materials for Experiment and Experiment Method

(14) 1-1. Preparation of Mice and Protocol of Drug Treatment

(15) All of the mice used in the experiment were 6-week- to 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice and purchase from Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, Me., USA).

(16) Osteopep2 used herein was produced by PEPTRON. For in vitro experiment, 0 nM Osteopep2 and 10 nM Osteopep2 were diluted in respective media and then injected. Further, for in vivo experiment, three mice per group, fifteen mice in total, were anesthetized with a mixed solution of 100 mg/kg of ketamine and 10 mg/kg of xylazine. Further, the each mouse was administered with 50 g/kg of Osteopep2 and 100 l of PBS (Gibco) by intravenous injection to its tail.

(17) In order to prepare osteoporosis models, three 12-week-old female mice per group, six 12-week-old female mice in total, had an ovariectomy. After 1 week, 50 g/kg of Osteopep2 (PEPTRON) and 100 l of PBS (Gibco) were intraperitoneally administered every 12 hours twice per day for 3 weeks. For control groups as sham osteoporosis models, three female mice per group, six female mice in total, had a subcision.

(18) 1-2. Culturing of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell and Induction of Differentiation into Osteoblast

(19) After a 4-week- to 6-week-old C57BL/6 mouse was anesthetized and sacrificed, the tibias and the femurs were removed. Bone marrow was harvested from the tibias and the femurs, and a single cell suspension was obtained by using a 40 m cell strainer (Becton-Dickinson LAware, Franklin Lakes, N.J.). About 10.sup.7 cells were divided in a 75-cm.sup.2 flask including Mesenchymal Stem Cell Stimulatory Supplements (Stem Cell Technologies, Inc.) added with antibiotics and MesenCult MSC Basal medium. After being cultured for one week, the cells were cultured for three weeks in StemXVivo Osteogenic/Adipogenic Base Media (R&D systems) added with StemXVivo Osteogenic supplement (20) and penicillin-streptomycin (100) for differentiation into osteoblasts. The culture media were replaced every 2 to 3 days.

(20) 1-3. Real-Time Quantitative PCR

(21) In order to measure expression levels of adhesion factors (Sdf-1a, Kit1, Angpt1, IL7, Vcam1, Spp1) for hematopoietic stem cells present in osteoblasts, a real-time quantitative PCR was used.

(22) An RNeasy Plus mini kit (Qiagen, Korea, Ltd.) was used to extract total RNA from a cell eluent and bone marrow cells. A kit produced by Clontech (Mountain View, Calif.) was used to synthesize cDNA from 5 g of the total RNA. Further, a Corbett research RG-6000 real-time PCR device was used to perform a real-time quantitative PCR repeatedly for 40 cycles under a condition of 95 C. for 10 minutes; 95 C. for 10 seconds; 58 C. for 15 seconds; and 72 C. for 20 seconds per cycle.

(23) Primers used in the real-time quantitative PCR were as listed in the following Table.

(24) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE1 SEQ ID NO: SDF-1 F 5-TTCCTATCAGA 1 GCCCATAGAG-3 R 5-CCAGACCATCC 2 TGGATAATG-3 Kitligand F 5-CCAAAAGCAAAG 3 (stemcell CCAATTACAAG-3 factor;SCF) R 5-AGACTCGGGCCT 4 ACAATGGA-3 Angiopoietin-1 F 5-ACGGGGGTCAA 5 (Angpt1) TTCTAAG-3 R 5-GCCATTCCTGA 6 CTCCACA-3 Vascularcell F 5-AAAAGCGGAGA 7 adhesion CAGGAGACA-3 molecule-1 R 5-AGCACGAGAAG 8 (Vcam1) CTCAGGAGA-3 IL7 F 5-ATTGAACCTGC 9 AGACCAAGC-3 R 5-GCAACAGAACA 10 AGGATCAGG-3 Spp1 F 5-TGTGGAGTTTTA 11 (osteopontin) GAGATATTAGATAGT GGG-3 R 5-AACACACTCTT 12 AACACCACTAAATCA CC-3 GAPDH F 5-TTGCTGTTGAAG 13 TCGCAGGAG-3 R 5-TGTGTCCGTCGT 14 GGATCTGA-3

(25) 1-4. Colony-Forming Unit (CFU) Assays

(26) In order to measure the number of bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells in blood of a mouse, CFU assays were conducted.

(27) A mouse was anesthetized, and then, 500 l to 700 l of blood was collected from the heart into a heparin tube. Then, the collected blood was put into an ammonium chloride solution (Stem Cell Technologies, Inc. 1:10) and then placed in ice for 15 minutes, and red blood cells were removed. The resultant solution was shaken every 2 to 3 minutes to remove red blood cells well, and then, centrifuged for 7 minutes at 1000 rpm. The supernatant was removed, and the resultant solution was washed with IMDM (Gibco) supplied with 2% fetal bovine serum (FBS) (Gibco). The washed cells (310.sup.5 per mouse) were divided into three 35 mm dishes (110.sup.5 per dish) respectively including methylcellulose-based media (Methocult, Stem cell), and then, cultured for 2 weeks. Then, the number of colonies in the flask was counted.

(28) 1-5. Flow Cytometry Analysis (FACs)

(29) In order to find out any change in the number of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells present in bone marrow of mice, Osteopep2 and PBS were injected to normal mice, respectively. After 60 minutes, bone marrow was harvested, and FACs was conducted to the harvested bone marrow by using three kinds of antibodies including Lineage, Sca-1, and c-kit as markers of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells.

(30) For analyzing bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells, red blood cells were removed from bone marrow, which was harvested from the tibias and the femurs of a 4-week- to 6-week-old C57BL/6 mouse, with an ammonium chloride solution (Stem Cell Technologies, Inc. 1:4) and then, the bone marrow was washed with a PBS (Gibco) solution including 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) (Gibco) and 1% sodium azide (Sigma-Aldrich) and centrifuged for 10 minutes at 300g. The hematopoietic cells included in the bone marrow were removed with MACs beads (Miltenyi Biotec) by using a biotinylated lineage antibody (Miltenyi Biotec), and the remaining cells were reacted at 4 C. for 30 minutes by using Sca-1-PECY7, c-kit-APC, CD150-PE, and CD48-FITC antibodies (BD science) and then analyzed with a flow cytometer LSRII (BD science).

(31) 1-6. Micro CT

(32) The femurs was separated from the mouse and refrigerated in 80% ethanol. Then, for micro CT scanning, a tissue having a thickness of 40 m was measured with a micro CT scanner (Inveon preclinical CT, Siemens Healthcare, Hoffman Estates, Ill.) under conditions including an exposure time of 600 msec, photon energy of 70 keV, and a current of 400 A. In order to measure a bone density (bone volume/total volume) and a trabecular thickness, pieces each having a volume of 2.50.50.5 mm.sup.3 from the same site of each group were measured with Siemens Inveon Software.

Example 2. Effect of Osteopep2 on Expression of Adhesion Factor for Bone Marrow Hematopoietic Stem Cell and Number of Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Blood

(33) In order to find out an effect of Osteopep2 on expression of adhesion factors (Sdf-1a, Kit1, IL7, Vcam1, Spp1) for hematopoietic stem cells present in osteoblasts and the number of bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells in blood, the following experiment was conducted.

(34) 2-1. Expression Level of Adhesion Factor for Hematopoietic Stem Cell

(35) In order to find out in vivo effects of Osteopep2 of the present disclosure on an expression level of an adhesion factor for a bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell, a mouse was administered with 50 g/kg of Osteopep2 by intravenous injection to its tail, and after 60 minutes, bone marrow was harvested from the tibia and the femur of the mouse. Then, expression levels of the adhesion factors were checked by a real-time quantitative PCR.

(36) The result thereof was as illustrated in FIG. 1.

(37) As illustrated in FIG. 1, the expression levels of the main adhesion factors Sdf-1a, Kit1, Angpt1, and Spp1 were decreased (p<0.05, n=3 per group).

(38) 2-2. Measurement of Number of Bone Marrow Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells in Blood (CFU Assay)

(39) In order to check whether mobilization of bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells to blood is induced by a decrease in expression level of the adhesion factors caused by administration of Osteopep2 of the present disclosure, a mouse was administered with 50 g/kg of Osteopep2 by intravenous injection to its tail, and after 60 minutes, blood was collected from the heart. Then, a CFU (Colony-forming unit) assay was conducted thereto.

(40) The result thereof was as illustrated in FIG. 2.

(41) As illustrated in FIG. 2, it could be seen that administration of Osteopep2 increased mobilization of bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells to blood (p<0.05, n=3 per group).

(42) 2-3. Measurement of Number of Bone Marrow Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Bone Marrow (FACs Assay)

(43) In order to find out effects of administration of Osteopep2 of the present disclosure on the number of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells present in bone marrow, the following experiment was conducted according to the method of Example 1-5.

(44) Firstly, normal mice were divided into two groups each including 3 mice, and the respective groups were administered with 50 g/kg of Osteopep2 and 100 l of PBS (Gibco). After 60 minutes, bone marrow was harvested, and FACs was conducted to the harvested bone marrow by using three kinds of antibodies including Lineage, Sca-1, and c-kit as markers of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells.

(45) The result thereof was as illustrated in FIG. 3.

(46) As illustrated in FIG. 3, the bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells marked by Lineage, Sca-1, and c-kit were decreased by administration of Osteopep2 rather than administration of PBS (p<0.05, n=3 per group).

Example 3. Effect of Osteopep2 of the Present Disclosure on Expression of Adhesion Factor for Hematopoietic Stem Cell

(47) In order to find out effects of Osteopep2 on an expression level of an adhesion factor involved in maintaining of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell within bone marrow, the following experiment was conducted according to the method of Example 1-2 and Example 1-3.

(48) Firstly, bone marrow was harvested from a 4-week- to 6-week-old C57BL/6 mouse, and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) were collected and cultured for 3 weeks in bone cell differentiation-inducing medium and thus differentiated into osteoblasts. On the 21st day, the osteoblasts were treated with 0 nM Osteopep2 and 10 nM Osteopep2 for three days. Then, bone cells were collected, and expression levels of six kinds of adhesion factors were checked by a real-time quantitative PCR.

(49) A mimetic diagram relevant to the experiment process was as illustrated in FIG. 4, and the measurement result of the expression levels of the adhesion factors was as illustrated in FIG. 5.

(50) As illustrated in FIG. 5, it could be seen that as compared with the osteoblasts (Control) which were not treated with Osteopep2, the expression levels of Sdf-1a, Kit1, and Angpt1 in the osteoblasts treated with 0 nM Osteopep2 and 10 nM were concentration-dependently decreased (p<0.05, n=3 per group).

(51) It could be seen from the above result that Osteopep2 decreased an expression level of an adhesion factor for a bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell present in an osteoblast, and, thus, mobilization of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells to blood from bone marrow could be induced.

Example 4. Effect of Osteopep2 of the Present Disclosure on Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis

(52) In order to check whether mobilization of a hematopoietic stem cell to blood caused by administration of Osteopep2 of the present disclosure has an effect on prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, the following experiment was conducted according to the method of Example 1-1 and Example 1-6.

(53) In order to prepare osteoporosis models, three 12-week-old female mice per group had an ovariectomy. After 1 week, 50 g/kg of Osteopep2 (PEPTRON) and 100 l of PBS (Gibco) were intraperitoneally administered every 12 hours twice per day for 3 weeks. For a control group, a normal mouse had a subcision and was intraperitoneally administered with 100 l of PBS or 50 g/kg of Osteopep2. On the 22nd day, the femurs was separated from the mouse and refrigerated in 80% ethanol. Then, a bone density and a trabecular thickness were measured by micro CT.

(54) 4-1. Effect of Osteopep2 on Expression of Adhesion Factor for Bone Marrow Hematopoietic Stem Cell in Osteoporosis Model

(55) In order to find out effects of Osteopep2 on an expression level of an adhesion factor involved in maintaining of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell within bone marrow in an osteoporosis model, the following experiment was conducted according to the method of Example 1-3.

(56) A mimetic diagram relevant to the experiment process was as illustrated in FIG. 6, and the result thereof was as illustrated in FIG. 7.

(57) As illustrated in FIG. 7, when Osteopep2 was administered, the expression levels of the adhesion factors (Sdf-1a, Kit1, Angpt1, IL7, Vcam1, Spp1) for hematopoietic stem cells in the osteoporosis models were decreased (p<0.05, n=3 per group).

(58) 4-2. Effect of Osteopep2 on Mobilization of Bone Marrow Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell to Blood in Osteoporosis Model

(59) In order to find out effects of administration of Osteopep2 of the present disclosure on bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells mobilized to blood in an osteoporosis model, an experiment was conducted in the same manner as the method of Example 1-4.

(60) The result thereof was as illustrated in FIG. 8.

(61) As illustrated in FIG. 8, it could be seen that Osteopep2 increased mobilization of bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells to blood in the osteoporosis models (p<0.05, n=3 per group).

(62) 4-3. Effect of Osteopep2 on Mobilization of Bone Marrow Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell to Blood in Osteoporosis Model and Micro CT

(63) In order to check whether mobilization of bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells to blood in an osteoporosis model is induced by Osteopep2 of the present disclosure, the following experiment was conducted.

(64) The result thereof was as illustrated in FIG. 9.

(65) As illustrated in FIG. 9, the mobilized amounts of the markers of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells were increased (p<0.05, n=3 per group).

(66) It could be seen from the above result that a long-time administration of Osteopep2 of the present disclosure decreased an expression level of an adhesion factor for a bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell present in an osteoblast, and, thus, mobilization of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells to blood could be induced.

(67) FIG. 10 provides micro CT images showing bone of a control group and an osteoporosis model, and FIG. 11 provides graphs exhibiting changes in bone density and trabecular thickness.

(68) As shown in FIG. 10, it could be seen from the micro CT images that a bone density percentage (BV/TV, %) and a trabecular thickness (mm) of the osteoporosis model mouse injected with Osteopep2 were increased as compared with the osteoporosis model mouse injected with PBS, and a similar tendency was observed in the control group models (n=3 per group).

(69) It can be seen from the above result that mobilization of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells to blood caused by a long-time administration of Osteopep2 to a mouse with osteoporosis induces differentiation from a hematopoietic stem cell into osteoclasts and a decrease in the number of osteoclasts within bone marrow, and, thus, it is possible to suppress decreases in bone density and trabecular thickness in the mouse with osteoporosis.

(70) From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.