Patent ID: 6991785

Claim:
A method for administering a human interferon-β (IFN-β) or a biologically active variant thereof to the central nervous system or the lymphatic system of a mammal, said mammal in need of said IFN-β to reduce or treat an infection or disorder by producing a therapeutic effect on the central nervous system or the lymphatic system, comprising: administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising IFN-β or a variant thereof to a tissue of a nasal cavity of the mammal wherein a therapeutically effective amount of the IFN-β or the variant thereof is transported via an olfactory neural pathway to the central nervous system or the lymphatic system of the mammal, wherein the IFN-β or variant thereof provides the therapeutic effect on the central nervous system or the lymphatic system, wherein said biologically active variant has at least 70% sequence identity to the human interferon-β and retains antiviral activity or anti-proliferative activity, and wherein said infection or disorder is selected from viral meningitis, herpes simplex, hepatitis-C, HIV, multiple sclerosis, and a glioma.