Use of rgm and its modulators

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of a modulator of a polypeptide having or comprising an amino acid sequence as disclosed herein or of a functional fragment or derivative thereof or of a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide or fragment or derivative for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for preventing, alleviating or treating diseases or conditions associated with the degeneration or injury of vertebrate nervous tissue, associated with seizures or associated with angiogenic disorders or disorders of the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, the invention provides for the use of a modulator of a polypeptide having or comprising said amino acid sequence of a functional fragment or derivative thereof or of a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide or fragment or derivative for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for preventing, alleviating or treating diseases or conditions associated with the degeneration or injury of vertebrate nervous tissue, associated with angiogenic disorders or disorders of the cardiovascular system. In addition, the invention provides for the use of said polypeptide or said functional fragment or derivative thereof for the preparation of a pharmaceutical compositions for preventing or treating tumor growth or formation of tumor metastases or as a marker of stem cells.

1 . The method of a modulator of a polypeptide having or comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NOs 18, 20, 23 or 25 or of a functional fragment or derivative thereof or of a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide or fragment or derivative for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for preventing, alleviating or treating diseases or conditions associated with the degeneration or injury of vertebrate nervous tissue, associated with seizures associated with angiogenic disorders or disorders of the cardio-vascular system. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said diseases or conditions associated with the degeneration or injury of vertebrate nervous tissue are selected from the group consisting of neurodegenerative diseases, nerve fiber injuries and disorders related to nerve fiber losses. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said neurodegenerative disease is selected from the group consisting of motomeuronal diseases (MND), ALS, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, progressive bulbar palsy, progressive muscular atrophy, HIV-related dementia and spinal muscular atrophy(ies), Down's Syndrome, Huntington's Disease, Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease, Gerstmann-Straeussler Syndrome, kuru, Scrapie, transmissible mink encephalopathy, other unknown prion diseases, multiple system atrophy, Riley-Day familial dysautonomia wherein said nerve fiber injuries are selected from the group consisting of spinal cord injury(ies), brain injuries related to raised intracranial pressure, trauma, secondary damage due to increased intracranial pressure, infection, infarction, exposure to toxic agents, malignancy and paraneoplastic syndromes and wherein said disorders related to nerve fiber losses are selected from the group consisting of paresis of nervus facialis, nervus medianus, nervus ulnaris, nervus axillaris, nervus thoracicus longus, nervus radialis and for of other peripheral nerves. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said disease or condition associated with seizures is epilepsy. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said disease or conditions associated with angiogenic disorders are selected from the group consisting of ischemic disorders, infarction, disorders leading to the progression of vascular plaque formation in cardio-vascular, cerebrovascular and/or nephro-vascular disorders or disorders wherein the permeability of the blood-brain barrier has to be regulated. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said disorders of the cardio-vascular system comprises disorders of the blood-brain barrier, brain oedema, secondary brain damages due to increased intracranial pressure, infection, infarction, ischemia, hypoxia, hypoglycemia, exposure to toxic agents, malignancy, paraneoplastic syndromes. 
     
     
         7 . The method of a modulator of a polypeptide having or comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NOs 18, 20, 23 or 25 or of a functional fragment or derivative thereof or of a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide or fragment or derivative for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for remyelinization and for modifying and/or altering the differentiation of neuronal stem cells and/or their progenitors. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said modulator is an antibody or a fragment or a derivative thereof, is an aptamer, is a specific receptor molecule capable of interacting with a polypeptide having or comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 18, 20, 23 or 25 or with a functional fragment or derivative thereof or is a specific nucleic acid molecule interacting with a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide. 
     
     
         10 . The method of a polypeptide having or comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NOs 18, 20, 23 or 25 or of a functional fragment or derivative thereof or of a polynucleotide encoding such polypeptide or fragment as derivative for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating diseases or conditions associated with excessive collateral sprouting of nerve fibres tumor growth or formation of tumor metastases, for preventing, alleviating or treating diseases or conditions associated with the activity of autoreactive immune cells or with overreactive inflammatory cells, for the treatment of inflammation processes and/or allergies, for wound healing or for the suppression/alleviation of scar formation, of a functional fragment or derivative thereof or of a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide or fragment or derivative as a marker of stem cells, and for alleviating, preventing and/or treating homoestatic and/or bleeding disorders and/or vascular damage. 
     
     
         11 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said polypeptide or fragment or derivative is soluble. 
     
     
         17 . The method of an antibody or a fragment or a derivative thereof, is an aptamer, is a specific receptor molecule capable of interacting with a polypeptide having or comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 18, 20, 23 or 25 or with a functional fragment or derivative thereof, or is a specific nucleic acid molecule interacting with a polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide for the preparation of a diagnostic composition for detecting neurological, neurodegenerative disorders or dispositions thereto.