Abstract: Weight gain in a mammal, especially a human, having a condition that leads to decreased weight gain or weight loss, such as AIDS, brain trauma, a chronic neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, or multiple sclerosis, or other condition, is promoted by increasing the effective concentration of a GPE-related compound (GPE or a GPE analog) in the central nervous system of the mammal. This increase may be achieved by administration to the mammal of an effective amount of a GPE-related compound, a prodrug thereof, or an implant containing cells that express the GPE-related compound or prodrug.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods of regulating the effect of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). In particular it relates to increasing the effective amount of TH in the central nervous systems (CNS) for the purpose of increasing TH-mediated dopamine production in the treatment of conditions such as Parkinson's disease.