Method for treating or preventing a neural disorder with a neurotrophic growth factor

Abstract

There is disclosed an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a human neurotrophic growth factor designated enovin and having the amino acid sequence illustrated in FIG. 1, 21, 23 or 24 or encoding a functional equivalent, derivative or bioprecursor of said growth factor. The growth factor preferably comprises the amino acid sequence from position 27 to 139 of the sequence illustrated in FIG. 1 , or a functional equivalent, derivative or bioprecursor thereof. The nucleic acid molecule encoding enovin can be used to transform a host cell, tissue or organism by including it in an appropriate vector. The host cell, tissue or organism and the vector also form part of the invention.

1 - 57 . (canceled)  
     
     
         58 . A method for treating or preventing a neural disorder in a subject the method comprising administering to the subject an amount of a human neurotrophic growth factor polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, or a functional equivalent derivative thereof, in a sufficient concentration to reduce or prevent the symptoms of the neural disorder.  
     
     
         59 . A method according to  claim 58 , wherein the neural disorder is selected from the group consisting of: Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, neuronal disorders associated with expanded polyglutamine sequences such as Huntington's disease, peripheral neuropathy, neuropathic pain; acute brain injury, nervous system tumors, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, peripheral nerve trauma, injury exposure to neurotoxins, multiple endocrine neoplasia, familial Hirschsprung disease, prion associated diseases, Creutzfeld-Jacob disease, cancer or stroke.  
     
     
         60 . A method according to  claim 58 , wherein the functional equivalent derivative comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 90% homology to SEQ ID NO:3.  
     
     
         61 . A method according to  claim 60 , wherein the functional equivalent derivative comprises SEQ ID NO:9 or SEQ ID NO:10.