Methods and Compositions Relating to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and TH2 Mediated Inflammatory Diseases
AssigneeYale University
InventorJack A. Elias
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Abstract
The present invention includes compositions and methods for the treatment of a Th2 mediated inflammatory disease, relating to inhibiting a VEGF. The invention further includes methods to identify new compounds for the treatment of a Th2 mediated inflammatory disease, including, but not limited to, asthma and the like. This is because the present invention demonstrates, for the first time, that expression of VEGF induces asthma-like phenotype and that inhibiting VEGF reverses the phenotype. Thus, the invention relates to the novel discovery that inhibiting VEGF treats and prevents an Th2 mediated inflammatory disease.
Claims19
A method of treating or preventing a Th2 mediated inflammatory disease in a subject wherein said disease is associated with an increased level of VEGF, comprising administering an effective amount of a VEGF antagonist to said subject, thereby treating said inflammatory disease in said subject.
A method for treating a Th2 inflammatory disease in a subject wherein said disease is associated with an increased level of interleukin-13, said method comprising administering an effective amount of a VEGF antagonist to said subject, thereby treating said inflammatory disease in a subject.
A method of identifying a compound useful for treating a Th2 mediated inflammatory disease in a mammal, said method comprising administering a compound to a mammal afflicted with the inflammatory disease and comparing the level of VEGF in said mammal with the level of said VEGF in said mammal prior to administration of said compound, wherein a lower level of said VEGF in said mammal after administration of said compound compared with said level of said VEGF in said mammal prior to administration of said compound is an indication that said compound is useful for treating an inflammatory disease in said mammal, thereby identifying a compound useful for treating an inflammatory disease.
A method of identifying a compound useful for treating a Th2 mediated inflammatory disease, said method comprising contacting a cell or tissue with a compound and comparing the level or activity of VEGF in said cell or tissue with the level or activity of said VEGF in an otherwise identical cell or tissue not contacted with said compound, wherein a lower level or activity of said VEGF in said cell or tissue contacted with said compound compared with said level or activity of said VEGF in said cell or tissue not contacted with said compound is an indication that said compound is useful for treating a Th2 mediated inflammatory disease, thereby identifying a compound useful for treating a Th2 mediated inflammatory disease.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.