摘要:
The subject invention a method for converting liver stem/progenitor cells to a pancreatic functional cell by transfecting said liver cells with a pancreatic development gene and/or by culturing with pancreatic differentiation factors. The resulting cells produce and secrete insulin protein in response to glucose stimulation.
摘要:
Nucleic acids may be obtained from neural cell cultures produced by using growth factors to induce the proliferation of multipotent neural stem cells. The resultant progeny may be passaged repeatedly to produce a sufficient number of cells to obtain representative nucleic acid samples. Clonal cultures may be produced. Nucleic acids may be obtained from both cultured normal and dysfunctional neural cells and from neural cell cultures at various stages of development. This information allows for the identification of the sequence of gene expression during neural development and can be used to reveal the effects of biological agents on gene expression in neural cells. Additionally, nucleic acids derived from dysfunctional tissue can be compared with that of normal tissue to identify genetic material which may be the cause of the dysfunction. This information could then be used in the design of therapies to treat the neurological disorder. A further use of the technology would be in the diagnosis of genetic disorders or for use in identifying neural cells at a particular stage in development.
摘要:
It has been discovered that when pluripotent stem cells are cultured in the presence of a hepatocyte differentiation agent, a population of cells is derived that has a remarkably high proportion of cells with phenotypic characteristics of liver cells. In one example, human embryonic stem cells are allowed to form embryoid bodies, and then combined with the differentiation agent n-butyrate, optionally supplemented with maturation factors. In another example, n-butyrate is added to human embryonic stem cells in feeder-free culture. Either way, a remarkably uniform cell population is obtained, which is predominated by cells with morphological features of hepatocytes, expressing surface markers characteristic of hepatocytes, and having enzymatic and biosynthetic activity important for liver function. Since stem cells readily proliferate in culture, this system provides an abundant source of cells of the hepatocyte lineage for a variety of applications, such as drug screening, and replenishing liver function in the context of clinical treatment.
摘要:
The invention provides methods of transplanting multipotent neural stem cell progeny to a host by obtaining a population of cells derived from mammalian neural tissue containing at least one multipotent CNS multipotent neural stem cell; culturing the neural stem cell in a culture medium containing one or more growth factors which induce multipotent neural stem cell proliferation; inducing proliferation of the multipotent neural stem cell to produce neural stem cell progeny which includes multipotent neural stem cell progeny cells; and transplanting the multipotent neural stem cell progeny to the host. Also provided are methods of transplanting neural stem cell progeny to a host by obtaining an in vitro cell culture containing CNS neural stem cells where one or more cells in the culture (i) proliferates in a culture medium supplemented with one or more mitrogens, (ii) retains the capacity for renewed proliferation, and (iii) maintains the multipotential capacity, under suitable culture conditions, to differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes; and transplanting the one or more cells to the hose.
摘要:
The subject invention comprises culture methods for transdifferentiation of non-pancreatic stem cells to the pancreatic differentiation pathway. It also concerns the endocrine hormones that can be produced by such cultures, and the use of the transdifferentiated cells in the treatment of pancreatic diseases.
摘要:
Methods, including culture media conditions, which provide for isolation and purification of renal tubule stem cells and for in vitro kidney tubulogenesis are disclosed. The methods rely on culturing adult kidney cells in a culture media treated with combinations of transforming growth factor-&bgr;1, epidermal growth factor, and all-trans retinoic acid.
摘要:
A method is described for inducing in vivo proliferation of precursor cells located in mammalian neural tissue by administering to the mammal a fibroblast growth factor and at least one additional growth factor selected from the group consisting of epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor alpha, and amphiregulin. The method can be used to replace damaged or missing neurons and/or glia. Another method is described for transplanting multipotent neural stem cell progeny into a mammal. The method comprises the steps of administering growth factors to a mammal to induce in vivo proliferation of neural precursor cells, removing the precursor cell progeny from the mammal, culturing the removed cells in vitro in the presence of one or more growth factors that induces multipotent neural stem cell proliferation, and implanting the multipotent neural stem cell progeny into the mammal.
摘要:
The present invention reveals an in vitro procedure by which a homogeneous population of multipotential precursor cells from mammalian embryonic neuroepithelium (CNS stem cells) can be expanded up to 10.sup.9 fold in culture while maintaining their multipotential capacity to differentiate into neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes. Chemically defined conditions are presented that enable a large number of neurons, up to 50% of the expanded cells, to be derived from the stem cells. In addition, four factors--PDGF, CNTF, LIF, and T3--have been identified which, individually, generate significantly higher proportions of neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes. These defined procedures permit a large-scale preparation of the mammalian CNS stem cells, neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes under chemically defined conditions with efficiency and control. These cells should be an important tool for many cell- and gene-based therapies for neurological disorders.
摘要:
A method for producing genetically modified neural cells comprises culturing cells derived from embryonic, juvenile, or adult mammalian neural tissue with one or more growth factors that induce multipotent neural stem cells to proliferate and produce multipotent neural stem cell progeny which include more daughter multipotent neural stem cells and undifferentiated progeny that are capable of differentiating into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. The proliferating neural cells can be transfected with exogenous DNA to produce genetically modified neural stem cell progeny. The genetic modification can be for the production of biologically useful proteins such as growth factor products, growth factor receptors, neurotransmitters, neurotransmitter receptors, neuropeptides and neurotransmitter synthesizing genes. The multipotent neural stem cell progeny can be continuously passaged and proliferation reinitiated in the presence of growth factors to result in an unlimited supply of neural cells for transplantation and other purposes. Culture conditions can be provided that induce the genetically modified multipotent neural stem cell progeny to differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in vitro.
摘要:
The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a method for producing brown adipocytes, osteoblasts, cartilage cells, neural cells, or cardiac cells from somatic cells without performing artificial gene transfer; brown adipocytes, osteoblasts, cartilage cells, neural cells, or cardiac cells; or a composition including a combination of chemical substances that can be used for the aforementioned production method. An example of the present invention is a method for producing brown adipocytes, osteoblasts, cartilage cells, neural cells, or cardiac cells including a step for culturing somatic cells in the presence or absence of an inhibitor or activator selected from the group consisting of an ALK5 inhibitor, an ALK6 inhibitor, an AMPK inhibitor, a cAMP activator, an ALK2 inhibitor, an ALK3 inhibitor, a GSK3 inhibitor, and an Erk inhibitor.