GHRH FOR USE IN TREATING CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE

摘要

The present invention pertains to compositions and methods for plasmid- mediated supplementation. The compositions and methods are useful for treatment or prevention of kidney failure, treatment of anemia, and other conditions commonly associated with kidney failure in order to increase survival and improve welfare in subjects with chronic renal failure. Overall , the embodiments of the invention can be accomplished by delivering an isolat ed nucleic acid expression construct that encodes a GHRH or functional biologic al equivalent thereof into a tissue of a subject and allowing expression of the encoded gene in the animal. For example, when such a nucleic acid sequence i s delivered into the specific cells of the subject, tissue specific constituti ve expression is achieved. The embodiments of the invention also encompass delivery of a recombinant GHRH polypeptide or functional biological equivale nt thereof. The preferred method for delivering the constitutive or inducible nucleic acid encoding sequences of GHRH or the functional biological equivalents thereof is directly into the cells of the subject by the process of in vivo electroporation.