Therapeutic use of a growth factor, nsg33

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of therapeutic use of proteins, genes and cells. More specifically the invention relates to therapy based on the biological function of a secreted therapeutic protein, NsG33, in particular for the treatment of disorders of the nervous system. NsG33 is a nerve survival and growth factor with antiapoptotic effects on a cell line with neuronal potential and with neuroprotective and/or neurogenesis effects on a neural precursor cell line and on primary striatal cultures. The invention also relates to novel bioactive NsG33 polypeptide fragments and the corresponding encoding DNA sequences.

1 . A method of treating neuropathic pain in a human subject in need thereof comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4.