The present invention is based on the discovery that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease are due to lack of a disorder-specific neurotrophic hormone. Diagnosis is accomplished by assaying hormones specific for a particular neuronal network or system: the motor neurotrophic hormones from muscle in the motor neural system are used to diagnose and treat ALS, dopamine neurotrophic hormones from striatum in the migrostriatal neural system are used to diagnose and treat parkinsonism, and cholinergic neurotrophic hormones released from the cortex and hippocampus which are specific for cholinergic neorons of the nucleus basalis and septal nucleus are used to diagnose and treat Alzheimer's disease. With tissue culture, the presence or absence of specific neurotrophic hormones can be assessed in ALS, parkinsonism, and Alzheimer disease. If there is a deficiency, extracted and purified neurotrophic hormones specific to the particular neuronal network or system can be injected in ALS and Alzheimer disease and in parkinsonism.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 444,293, filed on Nov. 24, 1982, now abandoned.
A method of treating humans suffering from central nervous system diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, senile dementia. The treatment consists of inducing into the patient's blood stream at least one from the group consisting of: sex hormones and anabolic hormones. Growth hormone is also be used in those patients in advanced stages of the disease, or in those patients where it has been determined that a low level of growth hormone is present. A method of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia, by the determination of the levels of the hormones somatotropin (human growth hormone) and somatomedin-C (IGF-I) after the administration of the Aroonsakul-Allen provocative test is also disclosed. Blood-sera samples are taken at certain time periods after the administration of L-Dopa, and the samples are tested for the levels of these hormones. These levels are then compared against the levels for normal subjects.
A novel polypeptide, designated neurotrophic factor-4 (NT-4), has been identified by PCR amplification of human genomic DNA. Provided herein is nucleic acid encoding NT-4 useful in diagnostics and in the recombinant preparation of NT-4. Also provided herein are nucleic acids encoding naturally occurring amino acid sequence variants of NT-4, designated NT-4.beta. and NT-4.gamma.. The neurotrophic factors of the invention are useful in the treatment of nerve cells and in diagnostic assays.
A novel polypeptide, designated neurotrophic factor-4 (NT-4), has been identified by PCR amplification of human genomic DNA. Provided herein is nucleic acid encoding NT-4 useful in diagnostics and in the recombinant preparation of NT-4. Also provided herein are nucleic acids encoding naturally occurring amino acid sequence variants of NT-4, designated NT-4.beta., NT-4.gamma., and NT-4.DELTA.. The neurotrophic factors of the invention are useful in the treatment of nerve cells and in diagnostic assays.
A novel polypeptide, designated neurotrophic factor-4 (NT-4), has been identified by PCR amplification of human genomic DNA. Provided herein is nucleic acid encoding NT-4 useful in diagnostics and in the recombinant preparation of NT-4. Also provided herein are nucleic acids encoding naturally occurring amino acid sequence variants of NT-4, designated NT-4.beta., NT-4.gamma., and NT-4.DELTA.. The neurotrophic factors of the invention are useful in the treatment of nerve cells and in diagnostic assays.
A novel polypeptide, designated neurotrophic factor-4 (NT-4), has been identified by PCR amplification of human genomic DNA. Provided herein is nucleic acid encoding NT-4 useful in diagnostics and in the recombinant preparation of NT-4. NT-4 is used in the treatment of nerve cells and in diagnostic assays.
