申请人:Woolf J. Clifford
公开号:US20050197341A1
公开(公告)日:2005-09-08
The present invention features methods and compositions for preventing, reducing, or treating a traumatic, metabolic or toxic peripheral nerve lesion or pain including, for example, neuropathic pain, inflammatory and nociceptive pain by administering to a mammal in need thereof a compound that reduces the expression or activity of BH4. According to this invention, this reduction may be achieved by reducing the enzyme activity of any of the BH4 synthetic enzymes, such as GTP cyclohydrolase (GTPCH), sepiapterin reductase (SPR), or dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR); by antagonizing the cofactor function of BH4 on BH4-dependent enzymes; or by blocking BH4 binding to membrane bound receptors. The compounds of the invention may be administered alone or in combination with a second therapeutic agent. The invention also provides methods for diagnosing pain or a peripheral nerve lesion in a mammal by measuring the levels of BH4 or its metabolites in biological sample. Alternatively, pain or a peripheral nerve lesion may be diagnosed by measuring the levels or activity of any one of the BH4 synthetic enzymes in tissue samples of a mammal. Also disclosed are screening methods that make use of BH4 or BH4 synthetic enzymes, BH4-dependent enzymes, and BH4-binding receptors for the identification of novel therapeutics for the treatment, prevention, or reduction of pain.
本发明的特征是,通过向需要的哺乳动物施用降低BH4表达或活性的化合物,预防、减轻或治疗创伤性、代谢性或毒性周围神经病变或疼痛,包括例如神经病理性疼痛、炎症性和痛觉疼痛的方法和组合物。根据本发明,这种降低可通过降低任何一种 BH4 合成酶的酶活性来实现,如 GTP 环氢酶 (GTPCH)、sepiapterin 还原酶 (SPR) 或二氢吡啶还原酶 (DHPR);通过拮抗 BH4 对 BH4 依赖性酶的辅助因子功能;或通过阻断 BH4 与膜结合受体的结合。本发明的化合物可单独给药,也可与第二种治疗剂联合给药。本发明还提供了通过测量生物样本中 BH4 或其代谢物的水平来诊断哺乳动物疼痛或外周神经损伤的方法。另外,也可以通过测量哺乳动物组织样本中任何一种 BH4 合成酶的水平或活性来诊断疼痛或周围神经病变。还公开了利用 BH4 或 BH4 合成酶、BH4 依赖性酶和 BH4 结合受体鉴定治疗、预防或减轻疼痛的新型疗法的筛选方法。