Screening method to identifying protective substances for the treatment of nerodegenerative and/or ischemic disorders

Screening method for the identification of protective substances which influence the haemoglobin formation in neuronal, myocardial and/or skeletomuscular cells, comprising:

• bringing the substance to be tested into contact with a test cell selected from a neuronal, myocardial and skeletomuscular cell which contains a reporter gene under the functional control of regulatory elements of at least one globin gene, and
• detection of the reporter gene product in the test cell.

Recombinant construct comprising a reporter gene under the functional control of regulatory elements of at least one globin gene.

Diagnostic method for the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative and/or ischaemic diseases in mammals, including the step of detecting a changed haemoglobin formation in a biological sample from a mammal which contains neuronal, myocardial or skeletomuscular cells.

Method for treating neurodegenerative and/or ischaemic diseases in mammals by administering haemoglobin, a globin or a mutein or fusion protein thereof to the mammal.

Method for the gene therapy of neurodegenerative and/or ischaemic diseases in mammals by administering a nucleic acid which encodes at least one globin or one mutein or fusion protein thereof to the mammal.

Gene therapy construct comprising a nucleic acid sequence which encodes at least one globin or one mutein or fusion protein thereof under the functional control of a heterologous regulatory element.