Patent ID: 8142781

Claim:
A composition comprising an agent covalently linked at its amino terminus to an antibody that crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB) through an endogenous BBB receptor, wherein the agent is selected from the group consisting of a brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) comprising an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical to amino acids 466-582 of SEQ ID NO: 24, nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-4/5, neurotrophin (NT)-3, epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor (TGF)-α, glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), neurturin, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), artemin, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), erythropoietin (EPO), heregulin, neuregulin, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (CSF), and saposins, the composition produces an average elevation of concentration of the agent in the brain of at least 5 ng/gram brain following peripheral administration, wherein the agent binds to a receptor and induces neuroprotection, and wherein the antibody and the agent each retain at least 30% of their activities, compared to their activities as separate entities.