The present invention pertains to a method for decreasing the body fat proportion, increasing lean body mass (“LBM”), increasing bone density, or improving the rate of bone healing, or all, of a subject. Overall, the embodiments of the invention can be accomplished by delivering a heterologous nucleic acid sequence encoding GHRH or functional biological equivalent thereof into the cells of the subject and allowing expression of the encoded gene to occur while the modified cells are within the subject. For instance, when such a nucleic acid sequence is delivered into the specific cells of the subject tissue specific constitutive expression is achieved. Furthermore, external regulation of the GHRH or functional biological equivalent thereof gene can be accomplished by utilizing inducible promoters that are regulated by molecular switch molecules, which are given to the subject. The preferred method to deliver the constitutive or inducible nucleic acid encoding sequences of GHRH or the functional biological equivalents thereof is directly into the cells of the subject by the process of in vivo electroporation. A decrease the body fat proportion and an increase in lean body mass (“LBM”), or both of a subject is achieved by the delivery of GHRH or functional biological equivalent thereof as described herein by into the subject as recombinant proteins. In addition, an increase in bone density and improvement in the rate of bone healing is also achieved.
本发明涉及一种降低受试者体脂比例、增加瘦体重("LBM")、增加骨密度或提高骨愈合率或所有方面的方法。总的来说,本发明的实施方案可以通过将编码 GHRH 或其功能
生物等效物的异源核酸序列递送到受试者的细胞中,并使编码
基因在受试者体内被修饰的细胞中表达来实现。例如,当这种核酸序列被输送到受试者的特定细胞中时,可实现组织特异性组成型表达。此外,GHRH 或其功能
生物等效
基因的外部调控可以通过利用诱导启动子来实现,诱导启动子由分子开关分子调控,而分子开关分子则给予受试者。将 GHRH 或其功能
生物等效物的组成型或诱导型核酸编码序列直接注入受试者细胞的首选方法是体内电穿孔法。通过将本文所述的 GHRH 或其功能性
生物等效物作为
重组蛋白送入受试者体内,可降低受试者的体脂比例,增加瘦体重("LBM"),或两者兼而有之。此外,还能增加骨密度和提高骨愈合率。