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Abstract

The invention provides multivalent ligand binding agents (traps) for members of the TGF-β superfamily and polypeptide linkers and methods for making and using such constructs. The traps may be used as therapeutic or diagnostic (imaging or non-imaging) agents for diseases/disorders caused by over-production/activity of the target ligand. In an embodiment of the invention there is provided a multivalent binding agent with affinity for a member of the TGF-β superfamily, the agent having the general structure I:

description='In-line Formulae' end='lead'(-linker1)_k-[{-linker2--linker3_f-}_n-()_m-(linker4-)_d]_h,description='In-line Formulae' end='tail'

where:

n and h are independently greater than or equal to 1;d, f, m and k are independently equal to or greater than zero;bd's are polypeptide binding domains having an affinity for the same member of the TGF-β superfamily; and,linkers are unstructured polypeptide sequences.

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First Claim