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AssigneeNeoRx Corporation
InventorsDavid J. Grainger, James C. Metcalfe, Peter L. Weissberg
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TGF-beta activators and TGF-beta production stimulators are employed to maintain or increase vessel lumen diameter in a diseased or injured vessel of a mammal. Conditions such as restenosis following angioplasty, vascular bypass grafts, transplanted organs, atherosclerosis or hypertension are characterized by a reduced vessel lumen diameter. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, TGF-beta activators and production stimulators inhibit abnormal proliferation of smooth muscle cells. TGF-beta activators or production stimulators that are not characterized by an undesirable systemic toxicity profile at a prophylactic dose are also amenable to chronic use for prophylactic purposes with respect to disease states involving proliferation and/or migration of vascular smooth muscle cells over time. Further provided is a method for determining TGF-beta in vitro, thereby identifying a patient at risk for atherosclerosis and monitoring a recipient that has received one or more administrations of a TGF-beta activator or production stimulator.
A method for preventing atherosclerosis in a mammal at risk therefor, or treating atherosclerosis in a mammal, which method comprises orally administering to the mammal the following:
A therapeutic method comprising orally administering to a mammal an amount of a therapeutic agent effective upon oral administration to elevate the level of TGF-beta so as to treat a diseased blood vessel in said mammal, wherein said disease is associated with the diminution in the lumen volume of the diseased vessel, and wherein the therapeutic agent stabilizes atherosclerotic plaque, inhibits lipid accumulation, or inhibits or reduces diminution in vessel lumen diameter in the diseased vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.