COMPOSITION FOR ENHANCING FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY OF A MAMMAL FROM CENTRAL AND/OR PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM INJURY OF TRAUMATIC OR PATHOLOGICAL ORIGIN

摘要

Functional recovery of a mammal from central and/or peripheral nervous system injury of traumatic or pathological origin and including cerebral ischemia and stroke is enhanced by administration of a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a natural protein mixture derived from bone, cartilage and/or tendon/ligament tissue and having bone morphogenic and/or osteoinductive characteristics. This natural protein mixture is preferably the mixture known as BP (Bome Protein) which mixture is derived from bovine bone material by extracting proteins from demineralized bone particles and purifying the extract by ultrafiltration, anion exchange, cation exchange and reverse phase high resolution liquid chromatography. In the rat model it is shown that the enhancement regarding BP-treated animals compared with sham-treated animals includes acceleration of recovery for reversible and irreversible cases of spinal cord lesions and a higher recovery level, i.e. a smaller irreversible functional loss for irreversible cases. Recovery is believed to be due to the beneficial effect of the natural protein mixture on cell survival after injury, on cell protection against exitotoxicity (e.g. glutamate intoxication) as well as on injury site conditions favoring axon regeneration. Compared with known administration of single species of recombinantly produced bone morphogenic proteins for similar aims, the natural protein mixture is effective in considerably lower doses.