Patent ID: 8309057

Claim:
A method of elevating, in a highly innervated tissue in a subject, the concentrations of at least one neurotrophin and at least one inhibitor of degradation of said neurotrophin, comprising: (a) introducing into a highly innervated tissue in a subject at least one neurotrophin to elevate a neurotrophin concentration of the at least one neurotrophin within the highly innervated tissue; (b) introducing into the highly innervated tissue at least one inhibitor of degradation of the at least one neurotrophin to elevate an inhibitor concentration of the at least one inhibitor of degradation of said neurotrophin within the highly innervated tissue; and (c) regulating the concentration of the neurotrophin over time, wherein regulating includes: monitoring, with at least one implanted sensor device, the neurotrophin concentration to determine whether at least one desired neurotrophin concentration target level of the at least one neurotrophin is present; and adding additional neurotrophin in a quantity sufficient to adjust the neurotrophin concentration toward the at least one desired neurotrophin concentration target level.