REGULATION OF BIOLOGICAL GROWTH

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO BE ABLE TO REGULATE ABNORMAL GROWTH PROCESSES THAT ARE RELATED TO SOMATOMEDINS. AS SOMATOMEDINS ARE THE MAJOR STIMULATORS OF BONE FORMATION, THEY OFFER PROMISE IN THE THERAPY OF POST- MENOPAUSAL OSTEOPOROSIS. THEY MAY ALSO BE USED TO STIMULATEBONE FORMATION AROUND PROSTHETIC JOINTS. THE STIMULATORY PROPERTIES OF SOMATOMEDINS MAY ALSO BE IMPORTANT IN HASTENING A WOUND HEALING. BECAUSE OF THEIR SHORT HALF- LIFE, THE SOMATOMEDINS REQUIRE DEVELOPMENT OF AN APPROPRIATEDELIVERY SYSTEM. AS THEY ARE TRANSPORTED IN PLASMA BOUND TOA CARRIER PROTEIN, THE LATTER WILL BE UTILIZED. SINCE THIS PROTEIN BLOCKS THE GROWTH PROMOTING EFFECTS OF SOMATOMEDIN, IT WILL ALSO BE USEFUL FOR SUPPRESSING THE GROWTH OF THOSE TUMORS THAT PRODUCE SOMATOMEDIN AND AUTOSTIMULATE THEIR OWN GROWTH. THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE TO PURIFYTO HOMOGENEITY THE HUMAN SERUM CARRIER PROTEIN, CHARACTERIZEIT, AND PRODUCE ANTIBODIES TO IT.