Pre-conditioning cells against death

Abstract

Apoptosis and/or necrosis related disorders in the mammalian body, namely radiation exposure disorders, chemical exposure and ingestion disorders, neurological disorders and physical trauma disorders, are treated, and their onset is counteracted by preconditioning, by extracting from the mammalian body an aliquot of blood, subjecting the extracted aliquot, ex vivo, to an oxidative stressor such as exposure to ozone gas, a temperature stressor, i.e. temperatures above or below body temperatures, and ultraviolet light, and re-injecting the treated blood aliquot into the mammalian body. The treatment ha the effect of decreasing apoptosis/necrosis in the body, and of pre-conditioning the body better to withstand subsequently encountered apoptosis-inducing events.

1 . Use in alleviating or protecting against the symptoms of a medical disorder involving accelerated rates of apoptosis or necrosis in a mammalian body, said disorder being selected from radiation exposure disorders; chemical exposure and ingestion disorders; neurological disorders; and physical trauma disorders; through reducing the rate of or susceptibility to apoptosis or necrosis of tissues and organs of the mammalian body, of an aliquot of blood from the mammalian body which has been extracted therefrom and reacted ex vivo with at least one stressor selected from the group consisting of a temperature above or below body temperature, ultraviolet light, and an oxidative environment.  
   
   
       2 . Use according to  claim 1  wherein the aliquot of blood which is ex vivo reacted has a volume from about 0.1-100 ml.  
   
   
       3 . Use according to  claim 1  or  claim 2  wherein said at least one stressor is a temperature in the range from about −5-55 C.  
   
   
       4 . Use according to  claim 3  wherein said at least one stressor is a temperature in the range from about 40-50 C.  
   
   
       5 . Use according to  claim 1  or  claim 2  wherein said at least one stressor is an oxidative environment comprising a mixture of ozone and medical grade oxygen, bubbled through the blood aliquot.  
   
   
       6 . Use according to  claim 5  wherein the gaseous mixture has an ozone content of from about 10-100 pg per ml.  
   
   
       7 . Use according to  claim 1  or  claim 2  wherein said at least one stressor is ultraviolet light in the UV-C band wavelength.  
   
   
       8 . Use according to any preceding claim wherein all three said stressors are applied to the aliquot simultaneously.  
   
   
       9 . Use according to  claim 8  wherein said stressors are applied for a period of time from 0.5 to 60 minutes.  
   
   
       10 . Use according to  claim 9  wherein the time is from about 2-5 minutes.  
   
   
       11 . Use according to any preceding claim wherein the medical disorder is a radiation exposure disorder.  
   
   
       12 . Use according to any of  claims 1  to  10  wherein the disorder is an ionizing radiation exposure disorder or an ultraviolet light exposure skin disorder.  
   
   
       13 . Use according to any of  claims 1  to  10  wherein the medical disorder is a chemical exposure or chemical ingestion disorder.  
   
   
       14 . Use according to  claim 13  wherein the disorder is chemical poisoning; food poisoning from bacterial toxins; toxic drug ingestion overdoses and side effects; disorders from exposure to nerve gases and mustard gas; liver disorders from chemicals and toxins; kidney disorders resulting from ingestion of aminoglycoside antibiotics, radiographic contrast dyes or cyclosporin nephrotoxicity; hematopoietic disorders and immunodeficiency disorders derived from drug or toxin induced bone marrow suppression; infections from bacterial toxins; ozone exposure; solvent exposure; or the effects of immunosuppressants.  
   
   
       15 . Use according to any of  claims 1  to  10  wherein the medical disorder is a neurological disorder.  
   
   
       16 - 18 . (canceled)