Regulation of wound healing by nitric oxide
AssigneeNew York Society for the Ruptured and Crippled Maintaining the Hospital for Special Surgery
InventorGeorge Anthony Calvert Murrell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods and compositions for promoting healing of damaged tissue that result in an increased level of nitric oxide in the vicinity of the damaged tissue. Also provided are methods and compositions for inhibiting unwanted wound healing by inhibiting the activity of nitric oxide in the tissue.
Claims25
A method for promoting the healing of a damaged tissue in a patient in need of such treatment, comprising exposing said tissue to an increased concentration of nitric oxide compared to the concentration of nitric oxide in said tissue in the absence of such exposure.
A method for promoting the healing of damaged tendons, comprising contacting said tendons with effective amounts of an agent that increases the local concentration of nitric oxide.
A pharmaceutical composition for promoting the healing of damaged tissue, said composition comprising an agent that increases the local concentration of nitric oxide in said tissue and a pharmaceutically acceptible carrier.
A method for inhibiting unwanted healing in or near a damaged tissue in a patient in need of such treatment, comprising reducing the concentration of nitric oxide in said tissue.
A method for inhibiting the healing of a damaged tendon, which comprises contacting said tendon with an effective amount for inhibiting healing of said tendon of an agent that decreases the concentration of nitric oxide within said tendon.
A pharmaceutical composition for inhibiting unwanted wound healing in or near a damaged tissue, said composition comprising an agent that reduces the concentration of nitric oxide in said tissue and a pharmaceutically acceptible carrier.
A method for identifying agents that stimulate the production of nitric oxide in damaged tendons, which comprises:
- (i) administering a test compound to rats;
- (ii) damaging the Achilles tendon in said rats;
- (iii) allowing said damaged tendons to heal for a predetermined time;
- (iv) measuring the activity of nitric oxide synthase in said tendons;
- and
- (v) comparing said nitric oxide synthase activity with the nitric oxide synthase activity in an untreated damaged tendon to determine that said compound causes a significant increase in nitric oxide synthase activity over that observed in said control tendon.
A method for identifying agents that inhibit unwanted fibroblast proliferation in a damaged tissue, which comprises:
- (i) administering a test compound to rats;
- (ii) damaging the Achilles tendon in said rats;
- (iii) allowing said damaged tendons to heal for a predetermined time;
- (iv) measuring the activity of nitric oxide synthase in said tendons;
- and
- (v) comparing said nitric oxide synthase activity with the nitric oxide synthase activity in an untreated damaged tendon to determine that said compound causes a significant decrease in nitric oxide synthase activity over that observed in said control tendon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.