| abstract |
The invention relates to the treatment of degenerative diseases of tissues which have undergone melanin loss and which share a common embryological basis as tissues of the nervous system, this treatment consisting in administering an active substance which causes an increase in the concentration of melanin in these fabrics. These active substances are melanin, variants of melanin, melanin analogs, melanin derivatives, tyrosinase, the tyrosinase gene, the melanin concentration hormone and combinations of these substances. The treated diseases are for example Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, retinitis pigmentosa, schizophrenia and dementia. The invention also describes means which can contribute to the repair of neurons in mammals suffering from neuronal damage, by means of the administration of an effective amount of an active substance which causes an increase in the concentration of melanin in the neuron. , so as to contribute to the repair of the nerves affected. The invention also describes means for protecting a mammal against toxin-induced diseases or against the harmful effects of a toxin, by administering an effective amount of the active substance described above. |