Methods for treating nicotinic acetylcholine receptor associated diseases
View Patent ↗The present invention provides methods and compositions for treating subjects suffering from a disorder associated with a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), methods for treating a subject having a disorder that would benefit from an increase in neural plasticity, and methods for modulating the plasticity of the primary visual cortex in subjects by modulating the expression, stability, and/or activity of Lynx1.
1. A method for treating an 8- to 17-year-old human subject having amblyopia, the method comprising orally administering a therapeutically effective amount of donepezil to an 8- to 17-year-old human subject having amblyopia, thereby treating the subject.
2. A method for treating an 8- to 17-year-old human subject having amblyopia, the method comprising orally administering a therapeutically effective amount of galantamine to an 8- to 17-year-old human subject having amblyopia, thereby treating the subject.
3. The method of claim 1 or 2 , further comprising administering to said subject an additional cholinesterase inhibitor.
4. The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the administering results in a decrease in the levels or an activity of Lynx 1 in the subject.
5. A method for increasing the plasticity of a primary visual cortex in an 8- to 17-year-old human subject having amblyopia, the method comprising: orally administering to an 8- to 17-year-old human subject having amblyopia an amount of donepezil sufficient to decrease the levels or an activity of Lynx1 in the subject, thereby increasing the plasticity of the primary visual cortex in the subject.
6. A method for increasing the plasticity of a primary visual cortex in an 8- to 17-year-old human subject having amblyopia, the method comprising: orally administering to an 8- to 17-year-old human subject having amblyopia an amount of galantamine sufficient to decrease the levels or an activity of Lynx1 in the subject, thereby increasing the plasticity of the primary visual cortex in the subject.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is 10 to 15 years old.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is administered about 2.5 mg donepezil per day.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising patching of an unaffected eye of the subject.
10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the activity of Lynx1 is the ability of Lynx1 to bind to a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor or reduce nicotinic acetylcholine receptor sensitivity to acetylcholine.
11. The method of claim 2 , wherein the subject is 10 to 15 years old.
12. The method of claim 2 , further comprising patching of an unaffected eye of the subject.
13. The method of claim 5 , wherein the subject is administered about 2.5 mg donepezil per day.
14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the galantamine is administered daily.
15. The method of claim 6 , wherein the subject is 10 to 15 years old.