Use of gelsolin to treat multiple sclerosis and to diagnose neurologic diseases

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of gelsolin to treat neurologic diseases (e.g., multiple sclerosis) and to the use of gelsolin to diagnose, monitor, and evaluate therapies of neurologic diseases.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for characterizing a subject's risk profile of developing a future neurologic disease, comprising:
 obtaining a level of gelsolin in the subject,   comparing the level of the gelsolin to a predetermined value, and   characterizing the subject's risk profile of developing a neurologic disease based upon the level of gelsolin in comparison to the predetermined value, wherein a level of gelsolin at or below the predetermined level is indicative that the subject is at an elevated risk of developing the neurologic disease, and wherein a level of gelsolin at or above the predetermined level is indicative that the subject is not at an elevated risk of developing the neurologic disease.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the neurologic disease is a demyelinating disease. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the neurologic disease is multiple sclerosis. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the multiple sclerosis is acute, relapsing, remitting, stable, chronic, or probable. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the neurologic disease is acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, transverse myelitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, adrenoleukodystrophy, adrenomyeloneuropathy, central pontine myelinolysis, optic neuritis, neuromyelitis optica (Devic's syndrome), Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, tropical spastic paraparesis (HTLV-associated myelopathy), or Guillain-Barré syndrome (also called acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, acute idiopathic polyradiculoneuritis, acute idiopathic polyneuritis, French Polio and Landry's ascending paralysis). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the level of gelsolin is in a body fluid of the subject. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the body fluid is blood, plasma, serum, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or urine. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the level of gelsolin is in a body tissue of the subject. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the body tissue is a neural tissue. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined value is about 250 mg/L of plasma or lower. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is an apparently healthy subject. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising performing one or more tests to evaluate the neurologic disease. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the test is a neurologic exam, electroencephalography (EEG), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination, evoked potentials (sensory, motor, visual, somatosensory, or cognitive), electromyogaraphy (EMG), nerve conduction, computed tomography (CT) imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), echo-planar MR imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), myelography, or angiography. 
     
     
         14 . A method for treating a subject having or at risk of developing multiple sclerosis comprising:
 administering an effective amount of gelsolin to a subject in need of such a treatment to treat the subject.   
     
     
         15 - 42 . (canceled)