The present invention relates to the use of an antisecretory protein or homologues thereof having the same properties, or certain fragments thereof in the manufacture of a medicament or a medical food for inducing improved rescue of injured or diseased nervous tissue, proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and/or migration of an embryonic stem cell, adult stem cell, progenitor cell and/or a cell derived from a stem cell or progenitor cell, for treating a condition characterized by or associated with loss and/or gain of cells. In a preferred embodiment, the condition is a neurotrauma or a condition or disease of the CNS and/or PNS and/or ANS, for example, Alzheimer's disease.