Chimeric fibroblast growth factors

Claim 1

A recombinant chimeric basic fibroblast growth factor selected from the group consisting of: (a) a chimeric basic fibroblast growth factor having about 155 amino acids wherein the alanine at position 3 and the serine at position 5 are replaced with glutamic acid; (b) a chimeric basic fibroblast growth factor having about 155 amino acids wherein the alanine at position 3 and the serine at position 5 are replaced with glutamic acid, and the cysteines at positions 78 and 96 are replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of serine, lysine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, glutamine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, methionine, threonine, proline, alanine, glycine, arginine and tryptophan; and (c) the chimeric basic fibroblast growth factor of (a) or (b) having no N-terminal methionine; wherein the amino acid at positions 78 and 96 are derivatized with a substituent selected from the group consisting of: CH 2 COOH, CH(CO 2 H) (CH 2 ) x (CO 2 H), CH 2 CONR 3 R 4 , R 5 , (CH 2 ) n SO 3 , CHCH 2 CONR 3 CO(CH 2 ) m NR 3 R 4 , CH 2 OCOCH 2 R 5 and SR 6 ; wherein R 3 and R 4 are each H, (CH 2 ) x CO 2 H, CHCO 2 H(CH 2 ) x CO 2 H or C 1 -C 6 alkyl optionally substituted with from 0 to 2 hydroxyl groups or polyethylene glycol; R 5 is C 1 -C 6 alkyl or C 1 -C 4 alkoxymethyl and R 6 is C 1 -C 6 alkyl, polyethylene glycol or phenyl optionally substituted with one or two carboxylic acid or sulfuric acid groups; n is an integer of from 0 to 4; m is an integer of from 2 to 4; and x is an integer of from 1 to 3.