GGF2 Use to Improve Recovery from Spinal Cord Injuries
Section: For Industry
Categories: "Neurodegenerative Therapeutics"
Reference #: 2011-003
OTC Contact: Tracy Bruehs, M.S., J.D. (Directory Information | Send a Message)
Description
Spinal cord injuries affect approximately 11,000 new individuals each year in the United States alone. The majority of these cases are contusion injuries which cause immediate damage to neural cells and fiber tracts. Similar damage to neurons, glia and fiber tracts result from other injuries to the central nervous system including traumatic brain injury, stroke and other disease or injury. The invention claims a method of treating such spinal cord injuries using neuregulin glial growth factor 2 (GGF2) and related compositions.
Applications
A method of treatment for spinal cord and associated central nervous system injuries by administration of GGF2 and related compositions.
Advantages
• Promotes overall cell regeneration when administered after spinal cord injury.
• Promotes replacement of lost oligodendrocytes, which are important for improving axonal function and improving long term functional recovery after spinal cord injury
• Increases the number of SOX-2 positive neural stem cells
• Can be administered effectively up to 24 hours after injury, which represents an improvement over current treatments which must be administered as immediately after injury as possible.
Stage of Development
• Study with mice showed GGF2 and related compositions promoting a significant improvement in hindlimb functional recovery (using the Basso Mouse Scale open field locomotor score) compared to saline controls. The study also demonstrated that delayed treatment of incomplete contusive spinal cord injury increases replacement of lost oligodendrocytes and improves long term function recovery.
• Currently under study through a multi-party Department of Defense grant in mice and dogs.
Relevant Publications
Abstract/poster presentation, “GGF2 and FGF2, growth factors that stimulate endogenous precursor cell proliferation, improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury.” Presented at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in November 2010.
Patent Status
PCT application filed; PCT/US2011/47606
