Claims for Patent: 6,939,540

Summary for Patent: 6,939,540

Title:	Method of enhancing bone density
Abstract:	The present invention is directed to a method for enhancing bone density or formation. In accordance with the method, a nucleic acid encoding an angiogenic protein is administered to a cell in a region of a bone such that the nucleic acid is expressed to produce the angiogenic protein, whereby bone density or formation is enhanced within the region. Optionally, a nucleic acid encoding an osteogenic protein is administered to a cell within the same region such that the nucleic acid is expressed to produce the osteogenic protein. The method can be employed to produce a bone graft having a cell harboring an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an angiogenic protein and, optionally, a cell harboring a nucleic acid encoding an osteogenic protein. To facilitate the inventive method, the invention also pertains to a recombinant viral vector having a nucleic acid encoding an angiogenic protein and a nucleic acid encoding an osteogenic protein.
Inventor(s):	Crystal; Ronald G. (Potomac, MD), Hidaka; Chisa (New York, NY), Boachie-Adjei; Oheneba (New York, NY), Rawlins; Bernard A. (Englewood, NJ), Kovesdi; Imre (Rockville, MD)
Assignee:	Cornell Research Foundation, Inc. (Ithaca, NY) The Hospital for Special Surgery (New York, NY) GenVec, Inc. (Gaithersburg, MD)
Application Number:	09/629,074
Patent Claims:	1. A method for enhancing bone density or formation, the method comprising (a) administering to at least one first cell within a bone or within a tissue immediately surrounding a bone an adenoviral vector comprising at least one first nucleic acid encoding a VEGF 121, and (b) administering to at least one second cell within the bone or within a tissue immediately surrounding the bone an adenoviral vector comprising at least one second nucleic acid encoding at least one osteogenic protein, wherein the osteogenic protein is selected from the group consisting of a latent TGF binding protein (LTBP), latent membrane protein-1(LMP-1), a heparin-binding neurotrophic factor (HBNF), a parathyroid hormone (PTH), a growth factor receptor, a LIM mineralization protein (LMP), a hedgehog protein, and midkine (MK), such that the first nucleic acid is expressed in the first cell to produce the vascular endothelial growth factor, and the second nucleic acid is expressed in the second cell to produce the osteogenic protein, whereby bone density or formation is enhanced within the region. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adenoviral vector is exposed to at least one cell in vivo in the region of the bone. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adenoviral vector is exposed to at least one cell ex vivo, which is then delivered in vivo to the region of the bone. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the osteogenic protein is MK. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the osteogenic protein is HBNF. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cell and the second cell are the same cell. 7. An adenoviral vector comprising at least one first nucleic acid encoding a vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF 121 and at least one second nucleic acid encoding at least one osteogenic protein, wherein the osteogenic protein is selected from the group consisting of a latent TGF binding protein (LTBP), latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1), a heparin-binding neurotrophic factor (HBNF), a parathyroid hormone (PTH), a growth factor receptor, a LIM mineralization protein (LMP), a hedgehog protein, and midkine (MK). 8. The adenoviral vector of claim 7, which is deficient in at least one essential gene function. 9. A bone graft comprising at least one first cell having at least one first exogenous nucleic acid encoding a vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF 121 and at least one second cell having at least one second nucleic acid encoding at least one osteogenic protein, wherein the osteogenic protein is selected from the group consisting of a latent TGF binding protein (LTBP), latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1), a heparin-binding neurotrophic factor (HBNF), a parathyroid hormone (PTH), a growth factor receptor, a LIM mineralization protein (LMP), a hedgehog protein, and midkine (MK). 10. The bone graft of claim 9, which is an allograft. 11. The bone graft of claim 9, wherein the osteogenic protein is MK. 12. The bone graft of claim 9, wherein the osteogenic protein is HBNF. 13. The adenoviral vector of claim 7, wherein the osteogenic protein is MK. 14. The adenoviral vector of claim 7, wherein the osteogenic protein is HBNF. 15. A method for enhancing bone density or formation, the method comprising administering to at least one first cell within a bone or within a tissue immediately surrounding a bone an adenoviral vector comprising at least one first nucleic acid encoding a vascular endothelial growth factor, and administering to at least one second cell within the bone or within a tissue immediately surrounding the bone an adenoviral vector comprising at least one second nucleic acid encoding at least one osteogenic protein, wherein the osteogenic protein is a heparin-binding neurotrophic factor (HBNF) or midkine (MK), such that the first nucleic acid is expressed in the first cell to produce the vascular endothelial growth factor, and the second nucleic acid is expressed in the second cell to produce the osteogenic protein, whereby bone density or formation is enhanced within the region. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the vascular endothelial growth factor is selected from the group consisting of VEGF 121, VEGF 165, VEGFA 138, VEGFA 162, VEGF 182, VEGF 189, and VEGF-C. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the osteogenic protein is MK. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the osteogenic protein is HBNF. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the adenoviral vector is exposed to at least one cell in vivo in the region of the bone. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the adenoviral vector is exposed to at least one cell ex vivo, which is then delivered in vivo to the region of the bone. 21. The method of claim 15, wherein the first cell and the second cell are the same cell. 22. An adenoviral vector comprising at least one first nucleic acid encoding a vascular endothelial growth factor and at least one second nucleic acid encoding at least one osteogenic protein, wherein the osteogenic protein is a heparin-binding neurotrophic factor (HBNF) or midkine (MK). 23. The adenoviral vector of claim 22, wherein the vascular endothelial growth factor is selected from the group consisting of VEGF 121, VEGF 165, VEGFA 138, VEGFA 162, VEGF 182, VEGF 189, and VEGF-C. 24. The adenoviral vector of claim 22, wherein the osteogenic protein is MK. 25. The adenoviral vector of claim 22, wherein the osteogenic protein is HBNF. 26. The adenoviral vector of claim 22, which is deficient in at least one essential gene function. 27. A bone graft comprising at least one first cell having at least one first exogenous nucleic acid encoding a vascular endothelial growth factor and at least one second cell having at least one second nucleic acid encoding at least one osteogenic protein, wherein the osteogenic protein is a heparin-binding neurotrophic factor (HBNF) or midkine (MK). 28. The bone graft of claim 27, wherein the vascular endothelial growth factor is selected from the group consisting of VEGF 121, VEGF 165, VEGFA 138, VEGFA 162, VEGF 182, VEGF 189, and VEGF-C. 29. The bone graft of claim 27, wherein the osteogenic protein is MK. 30. The bone graft of claim 27, wherein the osteogenic protein is HBNF. 31. The bone graft of claim 27, which is an allograft. 32. The method of claim 1, wherein the osteogenic protein is selected from the group consisting of a latent TGF binding protein (LTBP), latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1), and a parathyroid hormone. 33. The method of claim 1, wherein the osteogenic protein is selected from the group consisting of a growth factor receptor, a LIM mineralization protein (LMP), and a hedgehog protein. 34. The adenoviral vector of claim 7, wherein the osteogenic protein is selected from the group consisting of a latent TGF binding protein (LTBP), latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1), and a parathyroid hormone. 35. The adenoviral vector of claim 7, wherein the osteogenic protein is selected from the group consisting of a growth factor receptor, a LIM mineralization protein (LMP), and a hedgehog protein. 36. The bone graft of claim 9, wherein the osteogenic protein is selected from the group consisting of a latent TGF binding protein (LTBP), latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1), and a parathyroid hormone. 37. The bone graft of claim 9, wherein the osteogenic protein is selected from the group consisting of a growth factor receptor, a LIM mineralization protein (LMP), and a hedgehog protein.

Details for Patent 6,939,540

Applicant	Tradename	Biologic Ingredient	Dosage Form	BLA	Approval Date	Patent No.	Expiredate
Nps Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	NATPARA	parathyroid hormone	For Injection	125511	01/23/2015		2039-03-29