US Patent 7718400 Methods of increasing lean tissue mass using OB protein compositions

DNA sequences comprising nucleic acids encoding fusion proteins comprising an Fc portion of an antibody attached at the N-terminus of an OB protein moiety, vectors comprising such DNA sequences, host cells comprising such vectors or DNA sequences, and processes for preparing such fusion proteins, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising such fusion proteins, are described. The DNA sequences, vectors comprising such DNA sequences, host cells comprising such vectors or DNA sequences, and processes for preparing such fusion proteins, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising such fusion proteins are useful, for example, in providing therapeutically effective amounts of compositions useful for, for example, increasing insulin sensitivity, decreasing the dose of insulin required for the treatment of diabetes, controlling serum glucose levels, increasing lean tissue mass, increasing overall body strength, or regulating bone resorption, or effecting any combination of such, in subjects in need or desirous thereof to which the compositions are administered.