Process for increasing glycine levels in the brain and spinal cord
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorRichard J. Wurtman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The level of glycine in the brain and in the spinal cord is regulated by administering a neutral amino acid composition to a human wherein increased or decreased brain and spinal cord levels of glycine is effected when the composition contains increased or decreased amounts of threonine or a precursor of L-threonine. The neutral amino acid composition can be administered alone or concomitantly with a drug which either has the undesirable side effect of suppressing glycine-mediated neurotransmission or whose therapeutic efficacy is enhanced by increasing glycinergic neurotransmission.
Claims4
The process for increasing the amount of glycine in the brain and spinal cord of a patient suffering from a natural or induced deficiency of glycine in the brain or spinal cord which comprises administering to a patient a neutral amino acid composition comprising L-threonine, a precursor of L-threonine or mixtures thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.