Use of osteopontin for the treatment and/or prevention of neurologic diseases

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of osteopontin, or of an agonist of osteopontin activity, for treatment or prevention of a neurologic diseases.

1 . A method of treating or inhibiting a neurologic disease, comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:
 a) a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 1;   b) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 1 to 168 or 170 of SEQ ID NO: 1;   c) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 1 to 16 and 170 to 314 of SEQ ID NO: 1;   d) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 170 to 314 of SEQ ID NO: 1;   e) a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 2;   f) a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 3   g) a mutein of any of (a) to (f), wherein the amino acid sequence has at least 40% or 50% or 60% or 70% or 80% or 90% identity to at least one of the sequences in (a) to (f);   h) a mutein of any of (a) to (f) which is encoded by a DNA sequence which hybridizes to the complement of the native DNA sequence encoding any of (a) to (f) under moderately stringent conditions or under highly stringent conditions;   i) a mutein of any of (a) to (f) wherein any changes in the amino acid sequence are conservative amino acid substitutions to the amino acid sequences in (a) to (f); and   j) an isoform, fused protein, functional derivative or active fraction of any of (a) to (f).   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule further comprises an expression vector sequence. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administering step comprises administering to a patient in need thereof a vector for inducing and/or enhancing the endogenous production of osteopontin, or an agonist of osteopontin activity, in a cell. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administering step comprises administering to a patient in need thereof a cell that has been genetically modified to produce osteopontin, or an agonist of osteopontin activity. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the neurologic disease is chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule further comprises an expression vector sequence. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said administering step comprises administering to a patient in need thereof a vector for inducing and/or enhancing the endogenous production of osteopontin, or an agonist of osteopontin activity, in a cell. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said administering step comprises administering to a patient in need thereof a cell that has been genetically modified to produce osteopontin, or an agonist of osteopontin activity.