Patent ID: 9031792
Filing Date: 2015-05-12
Classification: A61K,A61N,A61P

Abstract:
1. A method of using a lead to regulate expression of a soluble cellular protein, comprising: a) providing a mammal implanted with i) a system comprising: a lead including a lead body extending from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion; one or more depositories disposed along and connected to the lead body, the one or more depositories include a porous, biocompatible and substantially nonbiodegradable material, wherein the material is selected to allow the passage of soluble protein expressed by donor cells and prevent passage of the donor cells across the material, wherein the porous, biocompatibie and substantially nonbiodegradable material comprises a synthetic polymer or a cross-linked natural polymer; and one or more gene regulatory stimulators associated with the one or more depositories, the one or more gene regulatory stimulators emit light of a particular wavelength or light of a particular energy capable of regulating a regulatable transcription control element in an expression cassette including the regulatable transcription control element operably linked to an open reading frame of interest or in an endogenous gene which includes the regulatable transcription control element operably linked to an open reading frame of interest, wherein the open reading frame encodes the soluble protein, wherein the one or more depositories comprise donor cells that are not genetically modified but comprise the regulatable transcription control element, donor cells that are genetically modified with the expression cassette, or a combination thereof, or ii) a lead comprising: a lead body extending from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion and having an intermediate portion therebetween; one or more depositories disposed along and connected to the lead body, the one or more depositories include a porous, biocompatible and substantially nonbiodegradable material, wherein the material is selected to allow the passage of soluble protein expressed by donor cells and prevent passage of the donor cells across the material, wherein the porous, biocompatible and substantially nonbiodegradable material comprises a synthetic polymer or a cross-linked natural polymer; the one or more depositories having donor cells that are genetically modified with an expression cassette comprising a regulatable transcription control element operably linked to an open reading frame of interest, donor cells which are not genetically modified but which comprise an endogenous gene which includes a regulatable transcription control element operably linked to an open reading frame of interest, or a combination thereof, wherein the open reading frame encodes the soluble protein; and one or more gene regulatory stimulators associated with the one or more depositories, the one or more gene regulatory stimulators emit light of a particular wavelength or light of a particular energy capable of regulating the regulatable transcription control element; and b) delivering the light from the one or more gene regulatory stimulators to the donor cells which are genetically modified or to the donor cells which are not genetically modified in the one or more depositories in an amount effective to regulate expression of the soluble protein.