Stem cell factor inhibitor

1. A method of treating a disease that is a fibrotic disease or a tissue remodeling disease comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of an anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to SEQ ID NO: 1 or an antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody to a subject with or at risk for a disease that is a fibrotic disease or a tissue remodeling disease.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject has an abnormal activity of stem cell factor or abnormal collagen production.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the disease is fibrosis, a remodeling disease, or a pulmonary disease.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the disease is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cystic fibrosis, peribronchial fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asthma, sclerodoma, inflammation, liver cirrhosis, renal fibrosis, parenchymal fibrosis, endomyocardial fibrosis, mediastinal fibrosis, nodular subepidermal fibrosis, fibrous histiocytoma, fibrothorax, hepatic fibrosis, fibromyalgia, gingival fibrosis, or radiation-induced fibrosis.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody is administered to the subject via a respiratory route, an intravenous route, or a subcutaneous route.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said administering the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody reduces an activity of a receptor and/or reduces an interaction of stem cell factor with a receptor.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the receptor is a receptor tyrosine kinase.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the receptor is c-Kit.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein administering the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody to a subject results in a direct inhibition of fibroblast activation.

10. A method comprising providing an anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to SEQ ID NO: 1 or an antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody and administering the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody to a cell or tissue.

11. A method of treating a disease that is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome, peribronchial fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, sclerodoma, renal fibrosis, hepatic fibrosis, fibromyalgia, or radiation-induced fibrosis, the method comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of an anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or an antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody to a subject having or at risk for having the disease that is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome, peribronchial fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, sclerodoma, renal fibrosis, hepatic fibrosis, fibromyalgia, or radiation-induced fibrosis.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody specifically binds to SEQ ID NO: 1.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the subject has an abnormal activity of stem cell factor or abnormal collagen production.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody is administered to the subject via a respiratory route, an intravenous route, or a subcutaneous route.

15. The method of any one of claim 1 or claim 11 , wherein the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody is administered to the subject as a dry powder or in a nebulized form.

16. The method of claim 5 or claim 14 , wherein the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody is administered to the subject via inhalation.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein said administering the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody reduces an activity of a receptor and/or reduces an interaction of stem cell factor with a receptor.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the receptor is a receptor tyrosine kinase.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the receptor is c-Kit.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein administering the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody to a subject results in a direct inhibition of fibroblast activation.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

23. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease is acute respiratory distress syndrome.

24. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease is peribronchial fibrosis.

25. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease is hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

26. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease is sclerodoma.

27. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease is renal fibrosis.

28. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease is hepatic fibrosis.

29. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease is fibromyalgia.

30. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease is radiation-induced fibrosis.

31. A method of treating a disease that is a fibrotic disease or a tissue remodeling disease comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of an anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to a transmembrane form of stem cell factor or an antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody to a subject with or at risk for a disease that is a fibrotic disease or a tissue remodeling disease.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the subject has an abnormal activity of stem cell factor or abnormal collagen production.

33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the disease is fibrosis, a remodeling disease, or a pulmonary disease.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the disease is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cystic fibrosis, peribronchial fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asthma, sclerodoma, inflammation, liver cirrhosis, renal fibrosis, parenchymal fibrosis, endomyocardial fibrosis, mediastinal fibrosis, nodular subepidermal fibrosis, fibrous histiocytoma, fibrothorax, hepatic fibrosis, fibromyalgia, gingival fibrosis, or radiation-induced fibrosis.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the disease is asthma.

36. The method of claim 31 , wherein the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody thereof is administered to the subject via a respiratory route, an intravenous route, or a subcutaneous route.

37. The method of claim 31 , wherein administering the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody to a subject results in a direct inhibition of fibroblast activation.

38. The method of claim 31 , wherein the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody is administered to the subject as a dry powder or in a nebulized form.

39. The method of claim 36 , wherein the anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody or the antigen-binding fragment of said anti-stem cell factor monoclonal antibody is administered to the subject via inhalation.