Thiol reactive agents as a therapeutic modality

The method of Claim where the receptor is in a leukocyte.

A method for the prophylaxis or treatment of a patient with a neurodegenerative disease associated with a receptor having a cysteine residue or other cysteine containing protein that is modified by a thiol reactive agent to inhibit its function, or at risk therefor, comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of said thiol reactive agent, provided that when the thiol reactive agent is NO or an NO donor, the NO or NO donor is administered in an amount which provides a submicromolar concentration of NO or NO donor in the patient's blood.

A method for the prophylaxis or treatment of a patient with a disease characterized by skeletal muscle atrophy, comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a thiol reactive agent, thereby to stimulate growth of skeletal muscle.

A method of prophylaxis against stroke, heart attach or ischemic disorder, comprising administering to a patient at risk for stroke, heart attack or ischemic disorder, a therapeutically effective amount of a thiol reactive agent different from NO or NO donor.

A method of treating a patient with a fungal disorder comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of thiol reactive agent different from NO or NO donor which reacts with a function regulating cysteine in fungal ABC transporter or kinase which is not present in mammalian ABC transporter or kinase to kill the fungus without harming the patient.

A method of treating a disease associated with protein-protein interaction where at least one of the proteins has more than one function regulating cysteine in an allosteric site, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a thiol reactive agent different from NO or an NO donor which is selective or effective for one of the function regulating cysteines.