The invention relates to the field of
drug development against acute
radiation injury caused by
exposure to high-energy electromagnetic
waves (X-rays, gamma rays) or particles (alpha particles, beta particles, neutrons). To date, there is no effective
drug to ameliorate
radiation injury after
accidental exposure to
ionizing irradiation. The invention provides a method of treating
radiation injury of a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the subject
a peptide, or functional analogue or derivative thereof, of smaller than 30 amino acids. Furthermore, the invention provides use of
a peptide, or functional analogue or derivative thereof, of smaller than 30 amino acids for the production of a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of a subject suffering from or believed to be suffering from
radiation injury. In particular, the invention provides anti-radiation peptides having a
dose reduction factor (DRF) against acute
gamma irradiation of at least 1.10, said DRF determinable by testing which
dose of radiation results in 50% mortality at 30 days (LD50 / 30) after
whole body radiation (WBI) in a
test group of mice treated with said
peptide at 72 hours after WBI and, testing which
dose of radiation results in 50% mortality at 30 days (LD50 / 30) after
whole body radiation (WBI) in a control group of mice treated only with the vehicle of said
peptide at 72 hours after WBI and wherein the DRF is calculated by dividing the LD50 / 30 of the
peptide-treated animals by the LD50 / 30 of the vehicle-treated animals.