Methods for controlling mineralization of extracellular matrix, therapeutic methods based thereon and medicaments for use therein

摘要

The present invention relates to methods for selecting a candidate therapeutic agent for controlling mineralization of an extracellular matrix in a tissue of a subject. The invention further relates to a cell culture mineralization model comprising a culture of an extracellular matrix producing cell under conditions that support extracellular matrix formation and matrix maturation, a test compound, and means and methods for determining in expression levels of genes encoding matrix proteins.

主权项

1. A method of stimulating mineralization in an extracellular matrix by an osteoblast in a human subject comprising:
administering to said subject an effective amount of an activin-A inhibitor protein that is not follistatin, or a pharmaceutical composition thereof, wherein the activin-A inhibitor protein prevents an interaction between activin-A and an activin receptor on an osteoblast, and wherein the osteoblast mineralizes the extracellular matrix.