Intestinal trefoil proteins

Abstract

Intestinal trefoil factors and nucleic acids encoding intestinal trefoil factors are disclosed. The intestinal trefoil factors disclosed are resistent to destruction in the digestive tract and can be used for the treatment of peptic ulcer diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases and other insults.

1 . A purified nucleic acid encoding an intestinal trefoil factor.  
     
     
         2 . The purified nucleic acid of  claim 1  wherein said intestinal trefoil factor is mammalian intestinal trefoil factor.  
     
     
         3 . The purified nucleic acid of  claim 2  wherein said mammal is a human.  
     
     
         4 . The purified nucleic acid of  claim 2  wherein said mammal is a rat.  
     
     
         5 . The purified nucleic acid of  claim 2  wherein said mammal comprises a cow, or a pig.  
     
     
         6 . The purified nucleic acid of  claim 1 , said purified nucleic acid being present within a vector.  
     
     
         7 . A cell comprising a vector encoding an intestinal trefoil factor.  
     
     
         8 . A substantially pure intestinal trefoil factor.  
     
     
         9 . A therapeutic composition comprising said factor of  claim 8  and a pharmacologically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         10 . A monoclonal antibody which preferentially binds the factor of  claim 8 .  
     
     
         11 . The monoclonal antibody of  claim 10  wherein said monoclonal antibody is detectably labelled.  
     
     
         12 . A method for detecting intestinal trefoil factor in a human patient comprising 
 contacting a biological sample obtained from said patient with said monoclonal antibody of  claim 10 , and    detecting immune complexes formed with said monoclonal antibody.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said biological sample is an intestinal mucosal scraping.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said biological sample is serum.  
     
     
         15 . A method for treating digestive disorders in a human patient, comprising 
 administering to said patient the therapeutic composition of  claim 9 .    
     
     
         16 . The factor of  claim 8  wherein said factor is detectably labelled.  
     
     
         17 . A method for detecting binding sites for intestinal trefoil factor in a patient comprising 
 contacting a biological sample obtained from said patient with said factor of  claim 8 , and    detecting said factor bound to said biological sample as an indication of the presence of said binding sites in said sample.    
     
     
         18 . An isolated DNA comprising a sequence encoding an intestinal trefoil factor.  
     
     
         19 . The isolated DNA of  claim 18 , wherein said DNA is present within a vector.  
     
     
         20 . The isolated DNA of  claim 18 , wherein said intestinal trefoil factor is a mammalian intestinal trefoil factor.  
     
     
         21 . The isolated DNA of  claim 20 , wherein said mammal is a human.  
     
     
         22 . The isolated DNA of  claim 20 , wherein said mammal is a rat.  
     
     
         23 . The isolated DNA of  claim 20 , wherein said mammal comprises a cow, or a pig.  
     
     
         24 . A method for the treatment of lesions in the alimentary canal of a patient, said method comprising administering to said patient at least one trefoil peptide, or a biologically active fragment thereof.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said lesion is in the mucosa of the alimentary canal.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said lesion is in the mouth of the patient.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said lesion is in the esophagus of the patient.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said lesion is in the stomach of the patient.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said lesion is in the intestine of the patient.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said patient is recieving radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said patient is recieving chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said patient is recieving a drug that damages said alimentary canal.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said patient is suffering from a digestive disorder.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said digestive disorder is non-ulcer dispepsia.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said digestive disorder is gastritis.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said digestive disorder is gastro-esophageal reflux disease.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said digestive disorder is a peptic ulcer or duodenal ulcer.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said trefoil protein is a human trefoil protein.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said trefoil peptide is intestinal trefoil peptide (ITF).  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said trefoil peptide is spasmolytic peptide (SP).  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said trefoil peptide is pS2.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said administration is oral.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said administration further comprises administration of mucin glycoprotein preparations.