Inventors:
Charles M. Cohen - Medway MA
Roy H. L. Pang - Medway MA
Hermann Oppermann - Medway MA
David C. Rueger - West Roxbury MA
Assignee:
Curis, Inc. - Cambridge MA
International Classification:
A61K 3512
US Classification:
424 931, 435325, 435363, 435366, 435370, 435372, 514 2, 514 12
Abstract:
The invention provides methods, compositions and devices for inducing tissue-specific regeneration in a mammal, or for stimulating proliferation of mammalian progenitor cells. The present methods, compositions and devices make use of osteogenic protein (OP- ), which is appreciated herein as a tissue morphogen, i. e. , a substance competent to induce tissue-specific morphogenesis of mammalian body tissues in addition to bone and/or cartilage. Alternatively, the present methods, compositions and devices make use of other naturally-occurring or biosynthetic proteins sharing a defined structural and functional relationship with OP- and thus appreciated herein also to function as tissue morphogens. Optionally, OP- or a related protein can be used alone or when adsorbed on a support matrix which provides an anchoring substratum for proliferation and/or differentiation of progenitor cells during tissue-specific morphogenesis. In another embodiment, OP- or a related protein is used to stimulate mammalian progenitor cells ex vivo, such that the stimulated cells, when disposed in vivo in a mammal, undergo tissue-specific morphogenesis to produce replacement tissue at a nonskeletal tissue locus in need thereof (i. e.