Composition for Increasing Body Height Using Guanyl Cyclase, A Gene Therapy Height Increase Invention

Me: This is the first type of invention I have ever found which shows that people have already found out how to possibly increase stature by using gene therapy. This is real. It seems the Guanyl Cyclase B activator somehow increase the cartilage in the subject’s body. Most of the technical material on genetics is over my head at this time. There is no way at this time that I can explain it as well as I hope to. This method appears to show that the technology is already available to have genetically engineering babies who are modified to be taller and bigger than the original genetic material. 

The patent was found from the link HERE.

This invention provides a composition for increasing a body height of a patient with short stature or an individual other than patients with short stature. More specifically, the invention provides: a composition for increasing the body height of an individual comprising a guanyl cyclase B (GC-B) activator as an active ingredient, the composition being to be administered to an individual free from FGFR3 abnormality; a method for increasing the body height of an individual free from FGFR3 abnormality which comprises activating GC-B; a method for screening an agent for increasing the body height of an individual which comprises selecting an agent for increasing the body height using GC-B activity as an indication; and a method for extending a cartilage bone free from FGFR3 abnormality which comprises activating GC-B in an individual.

발명자: Kazuwa Nakao, Akihiro Yasoda, Hidetomo Kitamura
현행 미국 분류: 514/1.1; 435/29; 530/300; 530/324; 530/326

Guanyl cyclase (GC) is a membrane protein belonging to the enzyme family that catalyzes the synthesis of the second messenger cGMP from GTP, and its examples include GC-A, GC-B, . . . , and GC-F. GC-B is found mainly in vascular endothelial cells, and thought to be involved in relaxation of the smooth muscle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a composition for increasing a body height of a patient with short stature or an individual other than patients with short stature, who is free from FGFR3 abnormality, for therapeutic, cosmetic, or other purposes.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for increasing a body height in a patient with short stature or an individual other than patients with short stature by the activation of GC-B, wherein said patient and individual are both free from FGFR3 abnormality.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for screening for an agent for increasing a body height using the activity of GC-B as an indication.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method for extending a cartilage bone free from FGFR3 abnormality by the activation of GC-B.

Me: What is even more intriguing for me was that when I typed in the phrase “Epiphyseal plate regeneration” into google, the article below appeared on the first page. This shows that a MD was looking at the possibility of using CNP to help treat the most common form of dwarfism, achondrodysplasia. What is noted is that shortened growth plates appeared to have been regenerated, but the rate at which chondrocytes slow down on their proliferation was not decreased. 
From my readings, this is how the first 4 types of FGF regulate longitudinal bone growth, which comes from multiple resources.
FGF-1 : negatively 
FGF-2: positively
FGF-3: negatively
FGF-4: positively 
Source Link HERE . Read the highlighted parts!
C-type Natiuretic Peptide and Achondroplasia
Volume 20, Issue 2, 2004
© 2004 Prime Health Consultants, Inc.
C-type natiuretic peptide (CNP) is a member of a family of 3 related peptides—atrial natiuretic peptide (ANP), brain natiuretic peptide (BNP), and CNP. They act by inducing accumulation of intracellular cGMP through 2 subtypes of guanylyl cyclase: guanylyl cyclase A for ANP and BN,P and guanylyl cyclase B for CNP. Although the natiuretic peptides are known mainly for regulating the cardiovascular system, there is growing evidence that CNP is an important positive regulator of endochondral bone growth. For example, genetically engineered mice have short bones when null for CNP and long bones when CNP is overexpressed. In fact, growth plates in these mice are shortened and widened in a manner similar to that detected in mice with loss- and gain-of-function mutations for FGFR3, respectively. These observations led the group headed by Nakao to propose a functional relationship between CNP and FGF signaling in the growth plate, which they have now demonstrated by mouse genetics.The group first generated transgenic mice in which CNP was overexpressed in the growth plate; expression of the gene encoding CNP, designated Nppc, was driven by the type II collagen cartilage-specific promoter (Col2). The Col2-Nppctransgenic mice displayed excessive skeletal growth that was mainly postnatal. Compared to non-transgenic littermates, the Col2-Nppc transgenic mice had longer body length, longer limb bones, a longer cranial base (measured as naso-occipital distance), and wider growth plates by histology.Next, the Col2-Nppc transgenic mice were mated to another transgenic mouse strain in which the achondroplasia-activating mutation of FGFR3 was expressed in cartilage also under the control of the type II collagen promoter (Col2-FGFR3 ach). The latter mouse strain exhibits a dwarf phenotypic with characteristics of human achondroplasia and is considered an animal model for this condition. Offspring of this mating that carried both the Col2-Nppc and Col2-FGFR3 ach transgenes had near normal body lengths when measured over 10 weeks. At 3 months, measurements of cranial base length, femurs, and humeri were statistically the same as non-transgenic mice, indicating that over-expression of CNP in the growth plate had rescued the dwarfism caused by the achondroplasia transgene. There was also restoration of the shortened growth plate of the Col2-FGFR3 ach mice toward normal in the mice harboring both transgenes. Of note, the over-expression of CNP did not appear to rescue the reduced proliferation of growth plate chondrocytes detected in the Col2-FGFR3 ach mice.To confirm the direct effect of CNP on bone growth, the authors treated cultured tibias from Col2-FGFR3 ach mice with different doses of CNP. Bone length showed a dose response to the CNP. The dose that restored bone length to normal also restored synthesis of 2 markers of cartilage matrix biosynthesis—glycosaminoglycan and collagen—which were reduced in the Col2-FGFR3 achmice to near normal.

The authors next examined the effect of CNP on FGFR3 signaling pathways in the tibial explants. No differences were observed in FGF–induced STAT1 signaling, which has been implicated in the control of chondrocyte proliferation. However, CNP reduced signaling through the MAP kinase-ERK pathway.

The model that Yasoda et al 1 constructed suggests that FGFR3 signals through STAT1 to down regulate chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation and through the MAP kinase-ERK pathway to negatively control matrix synthesis in the growth plate. They propose that CNP blocks the MAP kinase inhibitory signals of FGFR3 to increase matrix synthesis and thereby counters the restraining consequences of FGFR3 on bone growth. They speculate that these observations could form a basis for a new therapeutic approach to treating achondroplasia.

Yasoda A, Komatsu Y, Chusho H, et al. Overexpression of CNP in chondrocytes rescues achondroplasia through MAPK-dependent pathway. Nat Med. 2004;10:80-86.

Editor’s Comment : This is a very interesting paper that brings to the fore a growth plate regulatory circuit that has not been widely appreciated in the bone growth field. It also suggests that contrary to the popular view that activating FGFR3 mutations acts primarily through inhibition of chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation, they may also act by inhibiting the synthesis of the extracellular matrix that also contributes to bone growth.

The idea that CNP could be used to stimulate growth in achondroplasia is intriguing. Obviously, this work needs to be confirmed and much more investigation done, but in theory, blocking a downstream pathway that propagates growth inhibitory FGFR3 signals has promise.

Of caution is that high levels of CNP likely generated in cartilage of the transgenic mice, which presumably would be needed to counter the effects of mutant FGFR3 in patients, may be very difficult to achieve in a therapeutic setting, especially without having adverse effects on other tissues that respond to CNP such as kidney, adrenal gland, and cardiovascular system or on other regulatory circuits that utilize MAP kinase-ERK pathways. Nevertheless, the unfolding of this story deserves considerable attention.

William A. Horton, MD

Method For Restoring Vertebral Body Height, Invention

Me: This invention is a low invasive surgical procedure which flat implants are systematically inserted into the subject’s vertebral bone through a stacking process which decompresses possible vertebral fractures that develop from bone degeneration. It is a type of vertebroplasty. There is an initial implant of a top and bottom plate, and then the real implant is placed between them. This implant is expandable but not inflatable. It expands only in the spinal axis direction thus pushing apart the top and bottom plates and supporting them. This causes the vertebral to expand and widen, thus increasing vertebral height. Once you get the implant next to the cancellous bone, you inject a bone filler ,which is body cement into the implant. 

The way the implants are stacked upon each other is similar to the game of Jenga with the blocks but there is a locking mechanism which holds the pieces in place 

I must say that this approach has minimal invasiveness and the invention will lead to even more ideas in this small area of surgery. 

Patent Link found HERE.

A method for distracting, in a given direction, and supporting the opposite endplates of a vertebral body includes consecutively inserting a plurality of wafers between the endplates to create a column of wafers. The column of wafers is oriented between the endplates so as to expand in the given direction as the wafers are consecutively added to the column to restore the vertebral body height.

Inventors: Wesley D. Johnson, Tyler Lipschultz, Larry Wales, Robert Kieval
Original Assignee: Spine Wave, Inc.
Primary Examiner: Eduardo C Robert
Secondary Examiner: David Comstock
Attorney: Maginot, Moore & Beck LLP
Current U.S. Classification: 606/279

Patent number: 7744637

Filing date: Oct 5, 2007
Issue date: Jun 29, 2010
Application number: 11/867,867

Methods For Modulating Chondrocyte Proliferation Using Pulsing Electric Fields, Invention

Me: This type of invention seems to show that if you can get the electric signal sent to be of a certain type in shape, you can signal whether to cause osteogenesis or chondrogenesis. Somehow from the regulation of the release of NO gas using NO donors and NO synthase inhibitors as well as BMP-2 and BMP-7  you can literally control the differentiation of the progenitor cells to differentiate into chondrocytes and control the rate of the growth of the chondrocytes.  Again, this invention works on the same theory as the PEMF technology. you attach the electrodes which are connected to a signal generator to the cartilage on the body and the specific signals that is sent will control the way chondroblast behave. 

The source link for the patent was found from Google Patents HERE.

Methods for modulating chondrocyte proliferation using pulsing electric fields

James W. Kronberg et al

Compositions and methods are provided for modulating the growth, development and repair of cartilage, bone or other connective tissue. Devices and stimulus waveforms are provided to differentially modulate the behavior of chondrocytes, osteoblasts and other connective tissue cells to promote proliferation, differentiation, matrix formation or mineralization for in vitro or in vivo applications. Continuous-mode and pulse-burst-mode stimulation of cells with charge-balanced signals may be used. Cartilage, bone and other connective tissue growth is stimulated in part by nitric oxide release through electrical stimulation and may be modulated through co-administration of NO donors and NO synthase inhibitors. The methods and devices described are useful in promoting repair of bone fractures, cartilage and connective tissue repair as well as for engineering tissue for transplantation.

Inventors: James W. Kronberg, Stephen L. Gordon, Timothy Ganey, Robert J. Fitzsimmons
Current U.S. Classification: 607/50
Application number: 11/811,903
Publication number:US 2008/0039901 A1
Filing date: Sep 6, 2007

Novel Inducer Of Chondrocyte Proliferation And Differentiation, Possible Adult Height Increase Invention

Me: This is another invention that allows for chondrocyte proliferation and its differentiation from the progenitor cells. It appear to be a type of injection composition with very specific molecules that targets the RANKL molecule. This means that the effect of RANKL is reduced, which allows for more cartilage and bones to be produced and the effect of osteoclasts to be decreased. 

NOVEL INDUCER OF CHONDROCYTE PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION

Hisataka Yasuda et a

This invention provides a method for administration of an effective amount of RANKL-binding molecules that act on prechondrocytes and/or mesenchymal stem cells, accelerate cartilage differentiation, proliferation, and maturation of such cells, enhance chondrocyte differentiation, and induce chondrocyte proliferation to induce chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation or increase cartilage matrix production and a pharmaceutical composition used for inducing chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation or increasing cartilage matrix production. The pharmaceutical composition used for treatment or prevention of a chondropathies comprises, as an active ingredient, a compound that acts on prechondrocytes and/or mesenchymal stem cells and induces at least one of the following: (a) acceleration of prechondrocyte and/or mesenchymal stem cell differentiation; (b) acceleration of prechondrocyte and/or mesenchymal stem cell proliferation; (c) acceleration of prechondrocyte and/or mesenchy…

Application number: 12/998,253
Publication number:US 2011/0177069 A1
Filing date: Sep 9, 2009

You can find the link to the patent HERE. Again, this was found from using Google Patents and by typing in the words “chondrocyte proliferation”. It really is not that hard to find stuff like this. I just try to look through the patents and find stuff most relevant to what we are trying to do.

Invention Outline and Analysis

This patent is hard for me to understand how it is done. What I have been able to figure out is that a compound was synthesize similar to the binding region of the RANKL molecule and slightly altered to act as an antibody for the RANKL molecule. The actual molecule being administered appears to be a fusion protein of a peptide with a specific amino acid being sequenced, and from my quick glance at it is not that long, so I would guess the average university bimolecular lab can possibly synthesize this within a few months and get people trying it out.

What I am willing to say is that this may be the first real possible height increase technique or idea you can use and might get results from as a physically mature adult. However, you have to believe that the theory behind LSJL makes sense, that chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation will lead to bones being pressed apart.


Method For Non-Invasive Electrical Stimulation Of Epiphyseal Plate Growth (Important)

Me: This is one of those posts that if you are serious about this endeavor, you would want to see this post. Now we already know that PEMF technology can increase bones, but from the diagram below it seems that the machine was placed next to the growth plate to stimulate it to increase the growth rate. I personally know many Electrical Engineers who can build something like this easily. You can even get a very similar device which does this from Radioshack or an electronic parts store. 

The technology looks like just the application of the PEMF technology. From wikipedia, “PEMF uses electrical energy to direct a series of magnetic pulses through injured tissue whereby each magnetic pulse induces a tiny electrical signal that stimulates cellular repair”… My guess on how the theory works is that bones themselves have a sort of piezoelectric properties. When you apply a current through the bone, the hard crystals or the chondrocytes inside can potentially align parallel to the electrical field generated. You should definitely read the actual patent with the link below.

This is the patent link HERE. You can find it easily by going to Google Patents and typing in the words “epiphyseal plate” into search.

What You Need To Know And Take Away From This Post 

This was an invention that was put up as a patent almost 20 years ago where a guy showed that if you put an electrical signal through the area close to the epiphyseal growth plates, it can result in longitudinal bone growth increases.

I am going to save you the trouble of reading through the entire invention but if you want to, you still should look over it. It shows that there are far more ideas and tricks people are trying out to make the long bones grow longer.

The other ways the experimenter has tried to make the long bones grow are.

1. periosteal irritation

2. radiation

3. medullary plugging

4. creation of an arteriovenous fistula

5. sympathetic denervation

6. heat

7. insertion of foreign object

8. electricity

Previous experiments with electricity involved embedding two non-similar metal rods into the metaphysics region of the long bone (probably copper and zinc), then applying either an AC or DC current of around 10-20 microamps just like a electrolysis experiment.

This is how the invention is supposed to be applied. You first have to buy a signal producing generator, like a WaveTech Model 148 Function Generator. The modern equivalent would be a Tectronix AFG2021 model which can cost between $200-$1500. You then shave your legs, at least the areas where the growth plates are. You apply some KY jelly for lubrication. You get two wires to attach to the signal generator . The other ends of the wires have a  small relatively flat electrode with an area about a 1 in^s. You can also put a dielectric material Mylar film to make the electric field produced to be slightly different. You put the flats electrodes on the sides of your shaven leg, on the left and right sides, right where your epiphyseal plates are supposed to be. You fasten and hold the bare metal electrodes in place with a plastic jig and moleskin wrap. Note that if you keep the plastic in place for too long, it can lead to edema. For the experiment, the subjects war rabbits and they were injected on day 0 with 3 mg/kg of intravenous oxytetracycline because it seems the compound helps increase the mineralization of cartilage and bone cells. Another host of oxytetracycline was given on day 2.

The signal you are supposed to make and sent with the generator will be between 2.5 and 15 volts, peak to peak . The frequency range is between 20 and 120 KHz. The calculate the current going through the leg, you also attach an 100 ohm resistor in series with the electrodes, so that you can later figure out what is the voltage drop between the electrodes. The Current RMS value for the rabbit experiment was around 0.50-2.50 miliamps range. The signals that got the most longitudinal growth was between 5-10 Volts peak Voltage as an AC signal and around 60 MHz. You can monitor the signal of the electrodes by using a Oscilloscope from Techtronix. For the experiment, the experimental legs increased in length by an average of up to 9% compared to the control which were the legs not stimulated upon.

 

 

Increase Height And Grow Taller Using Faslodex

Me: I don’t think it can be any clearer from the last sentence of the paper but Faslodex injections can definitely lead to increased final height and longer growth time by acting as an estrogen blocking agent. The dosage of Faslodex used in the experiment was 100 microg/100 g body weight so for a person about 150 lb, that is about 68 milligrams of the Fasladex compound. So far I have not done any research to see what exactly is Faslodex but only know that it is an estrogen inhibiting agent. 
Pediatr Res. 1999 Sep;46(3):269-73.

The effects of the estrogen receptor blocker, Faslodex (ICI 182,780), on estrogen-accelerated bone maturation in mice.

Gunther DF, Calikoglu AS, Underwood LE.

Source

Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599, USA.

Abstract

Sex steroids accelerate bone maturation, but it is believed that estrogen action is needed for terminal epiphyseal fusion. In this study, we investigated the effects of a new estrogen-blocking agent, Faslodex (ICI 182,780), on estrogen-accelerated skeletal maturation in immature mice. On day-of-life 2 through 8, mice pups received either estradiol (5 microg/100 g body weight), Faslodex (100 microg/100 g body weight), a combination of Faslodex + estradiol, or vehicle alone. Skeletal maturation was assessed with a scoring system based on the size and appearance of epiphyseal plates in the forepaw and the lumbar spine. Estradiol caused acceleration of bone maturation in our mouse model (p < 0.05). Faslodex blocked the effect of estrogen, such that the mice receiving Faslodex + estradiol did not vary significantly from controls. Faslodex may prove useful in the treatment of patients with diseases causing rapid skeletal maturation, such as precocious puberty.

PMID: 10473040   [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]