Method of preventing and treating symptoms of aging and neurodegenerative dysfunctions with relaxin

Abstract

A method of treating neurodegenerative dysfunctions and aging symptoms includes administering a therapeutically effective amount of relaxin to a patient. Neurodegenerative dysfunctions amenable to treatment with relaxin include Alzheimer's, attention deficit disorder, Parkinson's, and others.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for treating neurodegenerative dysfunction by administering to a patient exhibiting symptoms such as sleep disturbance, memory impairment, and/or affective and cognitive impairment from neurodegenerative dysfunction a therapeutically effective amount of relaxin, thereby decreasing the amount of sleep disturbance, memory loss, and/or cognitive and affective impairment affected by relaxin.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the method of administering the relaxin hormone is by subcutaneous injection of a liquid pharmaceutical formulation comprising an therapeutically effective amount of human relaxin.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the neurodegenerative dysfunction is Alzheimer's disease.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the neurodegenerative dysfunction is Parkinson's disease.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the neurodegenerative dysfunction is s attention deficit disorder.  
     
     
         6 . A method of treating osteodegenerative joint dysfunction by concomitantly administering to a patient exhibiting joint pain and inflammation from osteodegenerative dysfunction of a therapeutically effective amount of: 
 (1) relaxin hormone; and    (2) glusocamine sulfate.    
     
     
         7 . A method of treating Alzheimer's by concomitantly administering to a patient exhibiting memory loss from Alzheimer's of a therapeutically effective amount of: 
 (1) relaxin hormone; and    (2) estrogen.    
     
     
         8 . A method for treating Parkinson's disease by administering to a patient exhibiting symptoms of tremors, stiffness, and pain from contracted muscles a therapeutically effective amount of relaxin hormone, thereby decreasing the amount of Parkinson's symptoms.  
     
     
         9 . A method for treating attention deficit disorder by administering to a patient exhibiting symptoms from attention deficit disorder a therapeutically effective amount of relaxin.  
     
     
         10 . A method for preventing and treating osteoporosis by administering to a patient exhibiting symptoms of or susceptibility to bone loss from osteoporosis a therapeutically effective amount of relaxin, thereby decreasing the amount of osteoporosis-related bone loss.  
     
     
         11 . A method of treating neurodegenerative dysfunction in a patient exhibiting the symptoms of sleep disturbance, memory impairment, and/or affective and cognitive impairment, the method consisting of administering a therapeutically effective amount of relaxin, selected from the group consisting of natural human relaxin, synthetic human relaxin, animal relaxin, and relaxin analogues, prologues.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of administration comprises oral administration.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of administration comprises administration by injection.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of administration comprises a combination of at least two methods selected from the group consisting of topical, injection and oral methods.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of administration comprises administrations transdermally through skin patches.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of administration comprises administration transdermally.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the human relaxin hormone is a recombinant cDNA origin synthetic relaxin hormone.  
     
     
         18 . A method for preventing or slowing the progression of symptoms associated with aging, such as memory loss, osteodegenerative joint degradation, osteoporosis, and skin laxity, by administering to a patient prior to exhibiting those symptoms from aging a therapeutically effective amount of relaxin hormone, thereby preventing or slowing the progression of such symptoms prior to the death of the patient.  
     
     
         19 . A method of preventing and treating osteogenesis imperfecta by administering to a patient exhibiting symptoms of this disease a therapeutically effective amount of relaxin, thereby decrease the amount of fractures.