Methods for treating or preventing tissue adhesions

Abstract

The present invention relates to the treatment of tissue adhesions, e.g. tissue adhesions that occur after surgical interventions. More specifically, the invention refers to an enzyme having DNAse activity for use in a method of treating or preventing tissue adhesions. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition that comprises an enzyme having DNAse activity for use in a method of treating or preventing tissue adhesions.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of treating or preventing tissue adhesion in a subject undergoing abdominal surgery, comprising administering an enzyme having a deoxyribonuclease (DNAse) activity to the subject as a solution one or more times during surgery directly to tissue or organ surfaces injured during the surgery that are at risk of forming adhesions, wherein the enzyme is a human DNase-1-like 3, wherein said human DNase-1-like 3 comprises an amino acid sequence having 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:6, wherein said method does not involve the administration of plasmin. 
     
     
         17 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the human DNase-1-like 3 comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:6. 
     
     
         18 . The method of claim  1 , wherein said method comprises the administration of between 1,000 to 10,000 Units (U) of the enzyme to the subject to be treated. 
     
     
         19 . The method of claim  1 , wherein said method comprises the administration of the enzyme between 0.15 mg per kg body weight of the subject to about 200 mg per kg body weight. 
     
     
         20 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the enzyme is a recombinantly produced enzyme. 
     
     
         21 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the surgery is hernia repair. 
     
     
         22 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the surgery involves intestinal anastomosis. 
     
     
         23 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the surgery is cesarean section. 
     
     
         24 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the surgical intervention involves damaging of a serous membrane. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the serous membrane is a peritoneal membrane. 
     
     
         26 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the subject suffers from a thermal lesion in a serous membrane.