Therapeutic gas for the treatment of mitochondrial disorders

Abstract

The use of gaseous oxygen for the production of a therapeutic gas for inhalation by a patient who has been identified as a person with a mitochondrial disorder or a coenzyme Q10 deficiency, for the treatment of mitochondrial disorders or Q10 deficiencies is disclosed. For the first time a non-invasive method is disclosed, upon what the body's own level of Q10 can be raised significantly without further interventions.

1 . A method for the treatment of mitochondrial disorders or coenzyme Q10 deficiencies, the method comprising:
 a) identifying a person with a mitochondrial disorder or a coenzyme Q10 deficiency; and   b) administering to the person via inhalation a therapeutic gas comprising gaseous oxygen in the form of an intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy, wherein sessions of inhalation of hypoxygenic and hyperoxygenic gases alternate and wherein the concentration of oxygen in the therapeutic gas is from about 15 Vol-% to about 9 Vol-% for a hypoxia session;   wherein the inhalation of the therapeutic gas results in an increase of coenzyme Q10 to a therapeutic range of 2.5 mg/l in plasma of the person.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the oxygen in the therapeutic gas is from about 30 Vol-% to about 55 Vol-% for a hyperoxia session. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the respective sessions of inhalation last from 1 minute up to 60 minutes. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the total time of inhalation lasts from 10 minutes up to 5 hours. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein an oxygen partial pressure in the person is measured during inhalation. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the mitochondrial disorder or the Q10 deficiency to be treated is associated with a member selected from the group consisting of cardiac insufficiency, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, tinnitus, acute hearing loss, senile ablepsia, age-related macular degeneration, parodontitis, gingivitis, cancer, solid tumour, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD), parkinsonism, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, olfactory disorders, migraine, neuropathic pain, pruritis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), apnoea, dialysis, apheresis, incontinence, neurodermatitis, psoriasis, wound healing, type 2 diabetes, overweight, obesity, metabolic syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and allergy. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein inhalation of the gas is performed in at least two time sessions, one of the time sessions being a hyperoxia session in which the concentration of the oxygen in the therapeutic gas is from about 30 Vol-% to about 55 Vol-%. 
     
     
         12 . A method for the treatment of coenzyme Q10 deficiencies, the method comprising:
 a) identifying a person with a coenzyme Q10 deficiency; and   b) administering to the person via inhalation a therapeutic gas comprising gaseous oxygen in the form of an intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy, wherein the therapeutic gas has an oxygen concentration from about 15 Vol-% to about 9 Vol-% for a hypoxia interval;   wherein the inhalation of the therapeutic gas results in an increase of coenzyme Q10 to a therapeutic range of 2.5 mg/l in plasma of the person.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein inhalation of the gas is performed in at least two time sessions, one of the time sessions being a hyperoxia session in which the concentration of the oxygen in the therapeutic gas is from about 38 Vol-% to about 55 Vol-%. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein inhalation of the gas is performed in at least two time sessions, one of the time sessions being a hyperoxia session in which the concentration of the oxygen in the therapeutic gas is from about 44 Vol-% to about 55 Vol-%. 
     
     
         15 . A method for the treatment of mitochondrial disorders or coenzyme Q10 deficiencies, the method comprising:
 a) identifying a person with a mitochondrial disorder or a coenzyme Q10 deficiency; and   b) administering to the person via inhalation a therapeutic gas comprising gaseous oxygen in the form of an intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy, the intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy comprising a hypoxygenic session and a hyperoxygenic session, wherein one of the hypoxygenic session and the hyperoxygenic session follows the other of the hypoxygenic session and the hyperoxygenic session, and wherein the concentration of oxygen in the therapeutic gas is from about 15 Vol-% to about 9 Vol-% for the hypoxia session;   wherein the inhalation of the therapeutic gas results in an increase of coenzyme Q10 to a therapeutic range of 2.5 mg/l in plasma of the person.