Medicinal product and method for treatment of conditions affecting neural stem cells or progenitor cells

Abstract

Use of a substance that upon administration will lead to increased concentrations of growth hormone, such as growth hormone, a functionally equivalent analogue thereof or a substance that will increase the release of endogenous growth hormone, for the production of a medicinal product for treatment of abnormal conditions affecting neural stem cells, progenitor cells and/or cells derived from neural stem cells or progenitor cells, especially conditions affecting the oligodendroglia, astroglia, and/or neuronal cells. In vitro and in vivo methods for inducing lineage determination, propagating and/or inducing or maintaining the genesis of neurons, oligodendrocytes, astroglial cells from progenitor cells, stem cells and/or cells derived from said cells by administrating to the cells a substance that increases the concentration of growth hormone. Also a method of reducing the genesis of oligodendrocytes, neurons, astroglial cells from progenitor cells or stem cells, wherein a pharmaceutically effective amount of a substance that will lead to a decreased concentration of growth hormone or a functionally equivalent analogue thereof is administered to said patient.

1 - 31 . (Canceled)  
     
     
         32 . A method for the treatment of CNS damage affecting neural stem cells, progenitor cells and/or cells derived from stem cells or progenitor cells comprising administering an effective amount of growth hormone or a functionally equivalent analog thereof to a patient in need of such treatment.  
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein said CNS damage affects the oligodendroglia, astroglia, and/or neuronal cells.  
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein said CNS damage affects non-cholinergic neuronal cells, cholinergic neuronal cells, or glial cells.  
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein said CNS damage is neural cell loss.  
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein said CNS damage is caused by hypoxic injury, ischemic injury, or traumatic injury.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein said medicinal product is formulated for intravenous infusion, intramuscular injection, or subcutaneous injection.  
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein said medicinal product is formulated so that the active substance will pass into the ventricles of the patient's brain when it is administered to a patient.  
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein said medicinal product is formulated so that the active substance will pass into the cerebrospinal fluid of the patient when it is administered to a patient.  
     
     
         40 . A method for the treatment of an abnormal condition affecting the central nervous system, wherein said abnormal condition is the consequence of axonal damage caused by concussion, axonal damage caused by head trauma, axonal damage caused by small vessel disease in the CNS, damage to the spinal cord after disease and/or trauma comprising administering an effective amount of a substance to a patient whereupon administration of said substance will lead to a decreased concentration of growth hormone or a functionally equivalent analog thereof.  
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein said substance is a negatively regulating growth hormone binding protein, a functionally equivalent analogous thereof, an antibody against growth hormone, a biologically active growth hormone receptor inhibitor, and/or an inhibitor of endogenous growth hormone release.  
     
     
         42 . A method of propagating cells selected from the group consisting of neuronal progenitor cells and neuronal stem cells by administration of a composition comprising an amount of a growth hormone effective to propagate neuronal progenitor cells and neuronal stem cells in vitro.  
     
     
         43 . A method of inducing lineage determination or inducing or maintaining the genesis of neurons, oligodendrocytes, astroglia cells from progenitor cells or stem cells in, or derived from, the central or peripheral nervous system in a patient, wherein a pharmaceutically effective amount of growth hormone or a functionally equivalent analogue thereof is administered to a patient in need thereof.  
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 43 , for treatment of an abnormal condition affecting the nervous system of a patient.  
     
     
         45 . A method according to  claim 44 , wherein said condition affects the oligodendroglia, astroglia, or neuronal cells.  
     
     
         46 . A method according to  claim 44 , wherein said condition affects the non-cholinergic neuronal cells, cholinergic neuronal cells, or glial cells.  
     
     
         47 . A method according to  claim 44 , wherein said condition is a CNS damage or deficit.  
     
     
         48 . A method according to  claim 47 , wherein said condition is neural cell loss.  
     
     
         49 . A method according to  claim 47 , wherein said condition is memory loss.  
     
     
         50 . A method according to  claim 47 , wherein said condition is caused by at least one factor selected from the group consisting of multiple sclerosis, hypoxic injury, ischemic injury, traumatic injury, Parkinson's disease, and demyelinating disorder.  
     
     
         51 . A method according to  claim 43 , wherein said substance is administered by intravenous infusion, intramuscular injection, or subcutaneous injection.  
     
     
         52 . A method according to  claim 43 , wherein brain cells are removed from the patient after said administration, said brain cells then being propagated in vitro, followed by transplantation of the obtained cells back into the brain of a patient in need thereof.  
     
     
         53 . A method according to  claim 52 , wherein an effective amount of growth hormone or a functionally equivalent analogue thereof is administered to said brain cells during in vitro propagation.  
     
     
         54 . A method of reducing the genesis of oligodendrocytes, neurons, astroglia cells from progenitor cells or stem cells in, or derived from, the central or peripheral nervous system in a patient, wherein a pharmaceutically effective amount of a substance that will lead to a decreased concentration of growth hormone or a functionally equivalent analogue thereof is administered to a patient in need thereof.  
     
     
         55 . A method according to  claim 54 , wherein said substance is administered to the peripheral or central nervous system of said patient.  
     
     
         56 . A method according to  claim 54 , wherein said substance is selected from the group consisting of negatively regulating growth hormone binding proteins, functionally equivalent analogous thereof, antibodies against growth hormone, biologically active growth hormone receptor inhibitors, and inhibitors of endogenous GH release.  
     
     
         57 . A method according to  claim 54 , for treatment of a central nervous system injury.  
     
     
         58 . A method according to  claim 57 , wherein said injury is the consequence of a factor selected from the group consisting of axonal damage caused by concussion, axonal damage caused by head trauma, axonal damage caused by small vessel disease in the CNS, damage to the spinal cord after disease or trauma.  
     
     
         59 . A method of  claim 42 , wherein the cells are isolated from mammalian central nervous system.  
     
     
         60 . A method of  claim 42 , wherein the mammalian central nervous system is a human central nervous system.