Endovasc Ltd. Inc has filed a patent application for a novel method for stimulating the development of muscle mass by combining exercise training with nicotinic Angiogenix or other nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist.

Endovasc is the company behind a revolutionary, nicotine-based Angiogenix treatment that may grow new heart tissue. The treatment has been approved for Phase III FDA trials. Using Endovasc's treatment, test animals with an artificially-induced coronary artery constriction grew new blood vessels to replace the lost blood vessel supply to their hearts. In test animals at Stanford University, Angiogenix (nAChR agonist) treated animals not only regained blood vessels in the blood-starved zones of leg muscle, but demonstrated a four-fold increase in the recruitment, migration and mobilization of stem cells and progenitor cells in the area. Some of the stem cells were capable of differentiating into muscle and cartilage.

Now Endovasc is developing experiments to demonstrate that Angiogenix may cause these new cells to develop muscle mass and promote body fitness. "Development of muscle mass and body fitness is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. Myriad nutriceutical supplements and pharmacological medicines are used to restore, augment and repair body tissues for both aesthetic and medical purposes. Our studies show that Angiogenix can recruit undifferentiated progenitor cells and stem cells from the bone marrow, and cause these cells to migrate and mobilize to a specific area of the body. Some recent studies show that the body's own stem cells can engraft and become heart tissue. As far as we know we will be the first to study the body's ability to build new muscle mass using Angiogenix. This may be great news to stroke victims with atrophied muscle, athletes, and to anyone hoping to replace fat with muscle," says Dr. David P. Summers, Chief Executive Officer for Endovasc.

The benefits of using the body's own stem cells to replace, restore or augment body muscle without the arduous regimen are obvious. All traditional health regimens typically rely on the effects of strenuous exercise programs, supplemented with various nutritional diets. They all require a relentless conformity to rigorous regimens, are costly and time-consuming, and few result in any long-term success. That is why one of the common temptations for persons seeking to add muscle mass is the use of steroids, even though they have been proven to have considerable negative side effects, including liver and heart damage.

Endovasc's invention comprises a method of utilizing nicotine or other nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist to stimulate, recruit and mobilize new muscle cells to augment, strengthen or replace muscle cells in the body. The muscle cells may be differentiated from stem cells with mesenchymal linage, which may be endogenous or exogenous. The muscle cells are recruited to a specific area of the body by a training exercise. The exercise results in the muscle group exceeding the cell replenishing effects of a normal lifestyle. The exercise causes an abnormal physiologic response in the muscle group, thereby causing release of various biologic responses to further enhance the increase of tissue mass. Such a response causes the muscle cells to express nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Nicotine or a nicotine acetylcholine receptor agonist such as Angiogenix is used to bind the receptors.