NOVEL NEUROTROPHIC FACTORS
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to neublastin neurotrophic factor polypeptides, nucleic acids encoding neublastin polypeptides, and antibodies that bind specifically to neublastin polypeptides, as well as methods of making and methods of using the same.
103 Citations
30 Claims
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1-10. -10. (canceled)
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11. A polypeptide that possesses neurotrophic activity and is at least 95% identical to amino acids 37-140 of SEQ ID NO:
- 9, wherein the polypeptide consists of 104 amino acids.
- View Dependent Claims (14, 17, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
- 12. The polypeptide of claim 12, wherein the polypeptide is at least 98% identical to amino acids 37-140 of SEQ ID NO:
- 28. A method of activating a Rearranged During Transfection (RET) receptor tyrosine kinase, the method comprising contacting a cell expressing RET and Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Family Receptor Alpha-3 (GFRalpha3) with an amount of a dimerized protein effective to bind to a complex comprising RET and GFRalpha3 and induce dimerization and autophosphorylation of RET, thereby activating the RET receptor tyrosine kinase, wherein the dimerized protein possesses neurotrophic activity and is a homodimer consisting of two polypeptides each of which consists of an amino acid sequence that is 104 amino acids in length and is at least 95% identical to amino acids 37-140 of SEQ ID NO:
Specification