Compounds for stimulating nerve growth
AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
InventorsRonald L. Schnaar, Lynda J. S. Yang, Akira Hasegawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Compounds which can stimulate neuronal growth by inhibiting the neuronal inhibitory activity of myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), and a method of using the compounds for stimulating neuronal growth are provided. The invention further provides a method of identifying compounds which inhibit myelin-associated glycoprotein inhibition of axonal outgrowth of injured nerve cells. The method involves contacting the compound with myelin-associated glycoprotein under conditions which allow myelin-associated glycoprotein and the compound to bind and detecting the binding.
Claims20
A method for stimulating neuronal cell growth, comprising contacting nerve cells with a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a complex carbohydrate having the terminal sequence:
- NeuAc-Gal-A-B-C-L
- wherein
- A is substituted with two sialic acid groups, the linkage between the two sialic acid groups being NeuAc .alpha.2,8 NeuAc;
- B is galactose;
- C is glucose;
- L is H or a hydrophobic group;
- and
- wherein the linkage of NeuAc-Gal is NeuAc .alpha.2,3 Gal thereby stimulating neuronal cell growth.
A complex carbohydrate having the structure:
- NeuAc NeuAc NeuAc-Gal-A-B-C-L
- wherein the linkage of NeuAc-Gal is NeuAc .alpha.2,3 Gal, and
- wherein Gal-A-B-C is gangliotetraose, and L is H or a hydrophobic group, and wherein the complex carbohydrate binds to myelin-associated glycoprotein and induces axonal growth when a therapeutically effective amount of the complex carbohydrate is brought in contact with injured nerve cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.