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Abstract

The present invention relates to an isolated and purified peptide of the RY domain having an amino acid sequence of general formula (I) comprising a sequence of the following amino acids: X.sub.1 --X.sub.2 --X.sub.3 --X.sub.4 --X.sub.1 --X.sub.4 --X.sub.4 --X.sub.3 --X.sub.1, X.sub.1 =Phe, Tyr, or any amino acid having a substituted aromatic residue; X.sub.2 =Glu, Asp, Ser, or any amino acid having a --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --COO residue, wherein n=0-3; X.sub.3 =Asp, Thr, any aliphatic amino acid, or any of amino acids X.sub.4 ; and X.sub.4 =Arg, Lys, or any amino acid having a --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --NH.sub.3.sup.+ residue, or a --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --NH--C(NH.sub.3.sup.+)NH.sub.2 residue wherein n=0-4; as well as functional equivalents thereof. The invention relates also to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of general formula (I), the use of said RY peptide and of said pharmaceutical composition in the preparation of a medicament and in method for the treatment of disorders of inappropriate activation of apoptosis; for increasing the number of viable cells in a biological tissue; and in a method for the enhancement for the survival of biological cells. The invention also relates to a method for the preparation of a RY-peptide of general formula (I). Furthermore, the invention also relates to an in vitro assay system for the regulation of cell death by the Bcl-2 family of test compounds (as hereinbefore defined).

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First Claim