Genetic Construct

A method of treating, preventing or ameliorating a neurodegenerative disorder in a subject, the method comprising administering, to a subject in need of such treatment, a therapeutically effective amount of a recombinant vector comprising a genetic construct comprising a promoter operably linked to a first coding sequence, which encodes the tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB), and a second coding sequence, which encodes an agonist of the TrkB receptor, wherein the agonist is mature BDNF or mature NT-4, wherein the second coding sequence comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal peptide which boosts secretion of the agonist of the TrkB receptor, and wherein the genetic construct comprises a spacer sequence disposed between the first and second coding sequences, which spacer sequence encodes a peptide spacer that is configured to be digested to thereby produce the TrkB receptor and agonist as separate molecules.