Bmp-2 peptides and methods of use

Abstract

The invention relates to truncated growth factors and variants thereof. The invention also relates to methods of making and using the truncated growth factors.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
         30 . A method of enhancing osteoinductive activity of the peptide of  claim 29 , comprising treating the peptide with an effective amount of collagenase. 
     
     
         31 . A method of enhancing chondroinductive activity of the peptide of  claim 29 , comprising treating the peptide with an effective amount of collagenase. 
     
     
         32 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the peptide of  claim 29  and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         33 . A method of promoting differentiation of cells into osteoblasts or chondrocytes, comprising treating the cells with the peptide of  claim 29  in an amount effective to promote the differentiation, wherein the cells are selected from the group consisting of progenitor cells, adult stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the cells are progenitor cells or adult stem cells. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the progenitor cells or the adult stem cells are derived from placenta, bone marrow, adipose tissue, blood vessel, amniotic fluid, synovial fluid, synovial membrane, pericardium, periosteum, dura, peripheral blood, umbilical blood, menstrual blood, baby teeth, nucleus pulposus, brain, skin, hair follicle, intestinal crypt, neural tissue, or muscle. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the cells are induced pluripotent stem cells. 
     
     
         37 . A method of promoting osteogenesis of cells in a tissue, comprising treating the tissue with the peptide of  claim 29  in an amount effective to promote osteogenesis, chondrogenic, or ligament/tendon differentiation of the cells in the treated tissue, wherein the tissue is bone tissue or connective tissue. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the osteogenic activity of the cells in the treated tissue is greater than the osteogenic activity of cells in an untreated tissue. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the tissue is bone tissue. 
     
     
         40 . A method of increasing a cellular growth factor activity in cells, comprising treating the cells with the peptide of  claim 29  in an amount effective to increase the growth factor activity in the cells, wherein the cells are selected from the group consisting of progenitor cells, adult stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells, and wherein the growth factor activity is selected from the group consisting of osteoinductive activity, chondroinductive activity and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the cells are progenitor cells or adult stem cells. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the progenitor cells or the adult stem cells are derived from placenta, bone marrow, adipose tissue, blood vessel, amniotic fluid, synovial fluid, synovial membrane, pericardium, periosteum, dura, peripheral blood, umbilical blood, menstrual blood, baby teeth, nucleus pulposus, brain, skin, hair follicle, intestinal crypt, neural tissue, or muscle. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the cells are induced pluripotent stem cells. 
     
     
         44 . A composition comprising the peptide of  claim 29  and collagenase. 
     
     
         45 . A composition comprising the peptide of  claim 29  and a protease selected from the group consisting of clostripain, dispase, trypsin, BMP-1 (bone morphogenetic protein-1), and MMP-13 (matrix metalloproteinase-13).