Osteoactivin protein and nucleic acids encoding the same, compositions and methods of stimulating bone differentiation

Abstract

The invention provides osteoactivin proteins and nucleic acid molecules that encode the same, as well as biologically functional expression vectors containing nucleic acid molecules encoding osteoactivin proteins, and antibodies specific for osteoactivin proteins. The invention also provides therapeutic and diagnostic compositions and methods for utilizing the proteins, antibodies, nucleic acids, and vectors of the invention, for example, to modulate bone formation.

1 . A nucleic acid molecule, wherein said nucleic acid molecule encodes a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 2.  
     
     
         2 - 38 . (canceled)  
     
     
         39 . A method for stimulating bone formation in a mammal, comprising administering to a mammal a bone-stimulatory amount of a nucleic acid molecule encoding an osteoactivin protein, wherein the encoded osteoactivin protein stimulates bone differentiation or bone formation.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said mammal is a human.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said osteoactivin protein is human osteoactivin protein.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said osteoactivin protein comprises SEQ ID NO: 6 or amino acids 23-560 of SEQ ID NO: 6.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule is provided in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or delivery vehicle.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises an osteoactivin regulatory element and said osteoactivin protein is expressed under the control of said osteoactivin regulatory element.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein said osteoactivin regulatory element is an osteoactivin promoter.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule is administered at a bone site.  
     
     
         47 . A method for stimulating bone formation in a mammal, comprising 
 (a) extracting osteoblasts from a mammal;    (b) introducing into said osteoblasts a nucleic acid encoding an osteoactivin protein; and    (c) returning the osteoblasts of step (b) to said mammal, wherein the encoded osteoactivin protein stimulates bone differentiation or bone formation.    
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said mammal is a human.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said osteoactivin protein is human osteoactivin protein.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein said osteoactivin protein comprises SEQ ID NO: 6 or amino acids 23-560 of SEQ ID NO: 6.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said osteoblasts of step (b) are provided in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or delivery vehicle.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises an osteoactivin regulatory element and said osteoactivin protein is expressed under the control of said osteoactivin regulatory element.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein said osteoactivin regulatory element is an osteoactivin promoter.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said osteoblasts of step (b) are administered at a bone site of said mammal.  
     
     
         55 . An osteoblast comprising a transgene encoding an osteoactivin protein.  
     
     
         56 . The osteoblast of  claim 55 , wherein said osteoblast is mammals.  
     
     
         57 . The osteoblast of  claim 56 , wherein said osteoblast is human.  
     
     
         58 . The osteoblast of  claim 55 , wherein said osteoactivin protein is human osteoactivin protein.  
     
     
         59 . The osteoblast of  claim 58 , wherein said osteoactivin protein comprises SEQ ID NO: 6 or amino acids 23-560 of SEQ ID NO: 6.  
     
     
         60 . The osteoblast of  claim 55 , wherein said transgene comprises an osteoactivin regulatory element and said osteoactivin protein is expressed under the control of said osteoactivin regulatory element.  
     
     
         61 . The osteoblast of  claim 60 , wherein said osteoactivin regulatory element is an osteoactivin promoter.  
     
     
         62 . The osteoblast of  claim 55 , wherein said transgene is carried on a vector.