Use of osteoprotegerin for the treatment and/or prevention of fibrotic disease

1. A method for treating or inhibiting progression or treating symptoms of a fibrotic disease selected from a connective tissue disease, scleroderma, fibrosis of the skin, Dupuytren's contracture, keloid, scarring and fibrosis of the pancreas comprising administering to a patient in need of treatment thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a substance selected from the group consisting of:

a) a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4;

b) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 22 to 401 of SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4;

c) a polypeptide comprising amino acids 22 to 194 of SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4;

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

e) a mutein of any of (a) to (c) which is encoded by a DNA sequence which hybridizes to the complement of the DNA sequence encoding any of (a) to (c) under washing conditions of 12-20° C. below the calculated Tm of the hybrid of the DNA sequence of the mutein and the complement in 2×SSC and 0.5% SDS for 5 minutes and which reduces collagen synthesis; and

f) a salt or fused protein of any of (a) to (e).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fibrotic disease is a connective tissue disease.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fibrotic disease is scleroderma.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substance is a monomer or dimer.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the substance is glycosylated at one or more sites.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the substance is a fused protein and wherein the fused protein comprises an immunoglobulin (Ig) fusion.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the Ig fusion is an Fc fusion.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substance comprises at least one moiety attached to one or more functional groups, which occur at one or more side chains on the amino acid residues.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the moiety is a polyethylene glycol moiety.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substance is produced by an isolated cell.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substance is produced by an isolated cell genetically modified to produce said substance.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising simultaneously, sequentially, or separately administering an interferon.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the interferon is interferon-β.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising simultaneously, sequentially, or separately administering a Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) antagonist.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the TNF antagonist is TBPI, TBPII or both TBPI and TBPII.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising simultaneously, sequentially, or separately administering an anti-scleroderma agent.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the anti-scleroderma agent is selected from the group consisting of halofuginone, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, proton pump inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, COX-inhibitors, corticosteroids, tetracycline, pentoxifylline, bucillamine, geranylgeranyl transferase inhibitors, rotterlin, prolyl-4-hydroxlase inhibitors, c-proteinase inhibitors, lysyl-oxidase inhibitors, relaxin, prostaglandins, prostacyclins, endothelin-1, nitric oxide, angiotensin II inhibitors, anti-oxidants and SARP-1.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the fibrotic disease is a connective tissue disease.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the fibrotic disease is scleroderma.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein progression and symptoms are inhibited.