The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 17, 1996
Filed:
Aug. 01, 1994
Eric J Nestler, Cheshire, CT (US);
Melissa T Berhow, New Haven, CT (US);
Dana Beitner-Johnson, Rockville, MD (US);
David S Russell, Branford, CT (US);
Ronald M Lindsay, Briarcliff Manor, NY (US);
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY (US);
Yale University, New Haven, CT (US);
Abstract
The present invention is broadly directed to treatment of an addictive disease or disorder. In particular, the invention relates to inhibiting or reversing the biochemical and neurophysiological changes that correlate with behavioral changes of addictive diseases or disorders. The method of the invention comprises administering to a subject suspected of suffering from an addictive disease or disorder an amount of brain-derived factor (BDNF) or neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), or both, effective to reverse behavioral changes that are associated with the addictive disease or disorder. In a specific Example, administration of BDNF or NT-4 inhibits or reverses increased expression of tyrosine hydroxylase and glial ibrillary acidic protein in the ventral tegmental area of the brain, and inhibits or reverses increased levels of cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase activity in the nucleus accumbens.