Patent ID: 7147839

Claim:
A method for determining the morphogenic ability of a candidate morphogenic protein to induce new tissue formation at a local defect site at least 6 hours after tissue damage, comprising the steps of: (a) creating a local defect site accessible to progenitor cells, (b) administering at least 6 hours after creating the local defect site, said candidate morphogenic protein systemically to said mammal at a site distal from the local defect site, and (c) measuring the amount of new tissue formation at said defect site, wherein said local defect site is in renal, skeletal, lung, cardiac, liver, pancreas, uterine, ovarian, gastrointestinal, colon, dermal, osteochondral, chondral, or thyroid tissue, and wherein said morphogenic protein is selected from the group consisting of: OP1, OP2, OP3, BMP2, BMP3, BMP4, BMP5, BMP6, BMP9, BMP-10, BMP-11, BMP-12, BMP-15, BMP-3b, DPP, Vg1, Vgr-1, 60A protein, GDF-1, GDF-3, GDF-5, GDF-6, GDF-7, GDF-8, GDF-9, GDF-10, GDF-11, or amino acid sequence variants thereof; or wherein said candidate morphogenic protein comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 70% homology within the C-terminal 102 to 106 amino acids, including the conserved seven cysteine domain, of human OP1, and wherein the amount of new tissue formation at said defect site measured in step (c) that is greater than the amount of new tissue formation measured in the absence of administration of said candidate morphogenic protein indicates the ability of said candidate morphogenic protein to induce new tissue formation at a local defect site at least 6 hours after tissue damage.