MBP

MBP or mbp may refer to:

Science and technology

Biology

Media

Myelin basic protein

Myelin basic protein (MBP) is a protein believed to be important in the process of myelination of nerves in the nervous system. The myelin sheath is a multi-layered membrane, unique to the nervous system, that functions as an insulator to greatly increase the velocity of axonal impulse conduction. MBP maintains the correct structure of myelin, interacting with the lipids in the myelin membrane.

MBP was initially sequenced in 1971 after isolation from myelin membranes. Since that time, knockout mice deficient in MBP that showed decreased amounts of CNS myelination and a progressive disorder characterized by tremors, seizures, and early death have been developed. The human gene for MBP is on chromosome 18; the protein localizes to the CNS and to various cells of the hematopoietic system.

The pool of MBP in the central nervous system is very diverse, with several splice variants being expressed and a large number of post-translational modifications on the protein, which include phosphorylation, methylation, deamidation, and citrullination. These forms differ by the presence or the absence of short (10 to 20 residues) peptides in various internal locations in the sequence. In general, the major form of MBP is a protein of about 18.5 Kd (170 residues).

Dirucotide

Dirucotide (also known as MBP8298) was developed by two research scientists (Dr. Kenneth G. Warren, MD, FRCP(C) & Ingrid Catz, Senior Scientist) at the University of Alberta for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Dirucotide is a synthetic peptide that consists of 17 amino acids linked in a sequence identical to that of a portion of human myelin basic protein (MBP). The sequence of these 17 amino acids is

Research

Results from a phase II and long-term follow-up trial showed that dirucotide safely delayed median time to disease progression for five years in progressive MS patients with HLA-DR2 or HLA-DR4 immune response genes. It does not seem to be effective in patients with other gene variants.

The drug is exclusively licensed by BioMS Medical Corp., a Canadian-based biotechnology company. BioMS Medical received clearance from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a phase III clinical trial, named MAESTRO-03, for secondary progressive MS patients in January 2007. An additional Phase III clinical trial for dirucotide, MAESTRO-01, is being undertaken in Canada and Europe. In September 2008, the drug was granted FDA fast-track for approval.