Use of SARP-1 for the treatment and/or prevention of scleroderma

1. A method for inhibiting treating scleroderma, comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a polypeptide that binds to Wnt protein to competitively inhibit the binding of Wnt protein to its receptor and to treat scleroderma, wherein said polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of:

a) mature secreted apoptosis-related protein 1 comprising at least 90% sequence identity to amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 (SARP-1);

b) a fragment of (a) comprising at least the cysteine rich frizzled domain thereof;

c) a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:2;

d) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 21 to 295 of SEQ ID NO:2;

e) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 24 to 295 of SEQ ID NO:2;

f) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 25 to 295 of SEQ ID NO:2;

g) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 26 to 295 of SEQ ID NO:2;

h) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 27 to 295 of SEQ ID NO:2;

i) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 28 to 295 of SEQ ID NO:2;

j) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 37 to 295 of SEQ ID NO:2;

k) a mutein of any of (a) to (j), wherein the amino acid sequence of said mutein has at least 90% sequence identity to at least one of the sequences in (a) to (j);

l) the mutein of (k), wherein any changes in the amino acid sequence are conservative amino acid substitutions to the amino acid sequences in (k);

m) a salt, an isoform of mutein of (a)-(l), or a fusion protein of any of (a) to (l).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide is glycosylated.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said (m) fused protein is a fusion between said polypeptide and an immunoglobulin.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is present in a pharmaceutical composition that further comprises an interferon.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the interferon is interferon-β.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is administered systemically.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is administered by intramuscular injection.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is administered by inhalation.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is administered subcutaneously.