Nunc A/s

Pharmexa A/s

Bavarian Nordic A/s

Soren Mouritsen

Peter Birk Rasmussen

Steen Klysner

Torben Halkier

Henrik Elsner

Anand Gautam

Gunilla Karlsson

Jesper Haaning

Disclosed are novel methods for increasing muscle mass by means of immunization against Growth Differentiation Factor 8 (GDF-8, myostatin). Immunization is preferably effected by administration of analogues of GDF-8 which are capable of inducing antibody production against homologous GDF-8. Especially preferred as an immunogen is homologous GDF-8 which has been modified by introduction of one single or a few foreign, immunodominant and promiscuous T-cell epitopes while substantially preserving the tertiary structure of the homologous GDF-8. Also disclosed are nucleic acid vaccination against GDF-8 and vaccination using live vaccines as well as methods and means useful for the vaccination. Such methods and means include methods for identification of useful immunogenic GDF-8 analogues, methods for the preparation of analogues and pharmaceutical formulations, as well as nucleic acid fragments, vectors, transformed cells, polypeptides and pharmaceutical formulations.

Method for down-regulating GDF-8 activity

Modification of polymer surfaces and molecular immobilization by

Growing community of inventors

Birkerød, Denmark

Soren Mouritsen