To treat diseases accompanied by degenerative intervertebral discs, in particular, disk herniation, lumbar pain, discopathy and osteoarthritits of the spine, it is intended to provide a drug for administering a human-origin protease directly to an affected part of such a disease accompanied by degenerative intervertebral discs. As the human-origin protease, use can be made of MMP-3, MMP-7, etc.

Komori; Hiromichi

Haro; Hirotaka

Method of therapy for degenerative intervertebral discs

The present invention relates to a novel protein belonging to an ADAM family, a partial peptide thereof or a salt thereof, a DNA encoding the protein, a recombinant vector comprising the DNA, a transformant, a method for producing the protein, a medicine comprising the protein or the DNA, an antibody against the protein, a method/kit for screening for a compound or a salt thereof which promotes or inhibits the protease activity or the extracellular metric degrading enzyme activity (preferably, the peptidoglycan degrading enzyme activity) of the protein, a compound obtained by the screening, and a medicine comprising the compound. The present protein and a DNA encoding it can be used, for example, as an agent for treating or preventing various diseases such as disc herniation, ischialgia, glomerular nephritis, diabetic nephropathy, hepatic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis or osteopetrosis. In addition, the present antibody can be used for quantitating the present protein in a test solution. Further, the present protein is useful as a reagent for screening for a compound which promotes or inhibits the protease activity of the present protein.

hernia/protease

Method of therapy for degenerative intervertebral discs

Protein and DNA thereof

Protein and DNA thereof

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