Activin neutralisers and uses thereof for treatment of diseases associated with aberrant "host defence response" activation

The present invention is concerned with methods and compositions for use in the medical art and relates to the use of an activin neutraliser or a mixture thereof for the manufacture of a medicament for the prophylaxis and / or therapy of diseases associated with aberrant "Host Defence Response" activation in a subject. The present invention provides activin neutralisers in the form of soluble ActRII polypeptides, or a fragment(s) or analogue thereof; follistatin, follistatin-like 3 protein, or a fragment(s) or analogue thereof; low molecular weight organic compounds; antibodies raised against either activin-A, activin-B, or activin receptors or immunogenic portions thereof; and antisense nucleic acids, ribozymes, triplex agents, siRNAs and miRNAs. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions, comprising a therapeutically effective or prophylactically effective amount of at least one activin neutraliser in admixture with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, adjuvants and / or diluents. Also provided are methods for the prophylaxis and / or therapy of diseases (including a combination of therapies) associated with said aberrant Host Defence Response activation. Diseases that may be treated according to the method of the present invention include ALI/ARDS, sepsis and COPD.