Patent ID: 7687460

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-1 polypeptide comprising amino acids 23 to 367 of SEQ ID NO:3; b) a WISP-1 polypeptide comprising amino acids 1 to 367 of SEQ ID NO:3; and c) a WISP-1 polypeptide having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide of a) or b), wherein said WISP-1 polypeptide stimulates chondrocyte proliferation or differentiation.