Patent ID: 8138152

Claim:
A method of treating mammalian cartilage cells or mammalian cartilage tissue, comprising contacting mammalian cartilage cells or mammalian cartilage tissue damaged from a degenerative cartilagenous disorder with an effective amount of WISP polypeptide, wherein said WISP polypeptide is a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: a) a WISP-2 polypeptide comprising amino acids 24 to 250 of SEQ ID NO:10; b) a WISP-2 polypeptide comprising amino acids 1 to 250 of SEQ ID NO:10; and c) a WISP-2 polypeptide having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide of a) or b), wherein said WISP-2 polypeptide stimulates chondrocyte proliferation or differentiation.