Patent ID: 7338656

Claim:
A method of decreasing body fat proportion in a subject in need thereof, comprising: delivering into cells of the subject by direct injection or via electroporation, a nucleic acid expression construct that encodes a growth-hormone-increasing-hormone (“GHRH”) or functional biological equivalent thereof, resulting in the expression and secretion of a protein encoded by the nucleic acid expression construct, wherein the encoded GHRH or functional biological equivalent thereof is of formula (SEQ ID NO: 6): -X 1 -X 2 -DAIFTNSYRKVL-X 3 -QLSARKLLQDI-X 4 -X 5 RQQGERNQEQGA-OH wherein the formula has the following characteristics: X 1 is a D- or L-isomer of the amino acid tyrosine (“Y”), or histidine (“H”); X 2 is a D- or L-isomer of the amino acid alanine (“A”), valine (“V”), or isoleucine (“I”); X 3 is a D- or L-isomer of the amino acid alanine (“A”) or glycine (“G”); X 4 is a D- cir L-isomer of the amino acid methionine (“M”), or leucine (“L”); X 5 is a D- cir L-isomer of the amino acid series (“S”) or asparagine (“N”); or a combination thereof; and wherein the encoded GHRH or functional biological equivalent thereof facilitates growth hormone (“GH”) secretion in the subject.