Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to methods for dedifferentiating and transdifferentiating recipient cells, preferably human somatic cells. These methods minimize the risk of undesired genome sequence alteration. These methods employ reprogramming factors, which may be used alone or in certain combinations with one another. These methods have application especially in the context of cell-based therapies, establishment of cell lines, and the production of genetically modified cells.
Abstract:
The invention provides a method for effecting the trans-differentiation of a somatic cell, i.e., the conversion of a somatic cell of one cell type into a somatic cell of a different cell type. The method is practiced by culturing a somatic cell in the presence of at least one agent selected from the group consisting of (a) cytoskeletal inhibitors and (b) inhibitors of acetylation, and (c) inhibitors of methylation, and also culturing the cell in the presence of agents or conditions that induce differentiation to a different cell type. The method is useful for producing histocompatible cells for cell therapy.
Abstract:
The invention provides a scaffold of extracellular matrix polymers with recombinant chimeric peptides tethered thereto. The invention also provides recombinant chimeric peptides of antimicrobial peptides and extracellular matrix binding domains. The invention also provides methods for treating chronic wounds using the scaffold and/or recombinant chimeric peptides.
Abstract:
An engineered muscle construct in the form of a braided collagen microthread scaffold is provided. The microthread scaffold can be used with or without cells as engineered skeletal muscle. The microthread scaffold can also be used to promote cell attachment and growth to deliver cells to a large muscle defect to stimulate muscle regeneration. Methods for making a muscle construct, seeding cells onto microthread scaffolds and treating muscle defects are also provided.
Abstract:
Improved methods of cell therapy are provided using cells and tissues that are histocompatible with a human or non-human transplant recipient. The cells and tissues for transplant produced by the present invention exhibit a youthful state and can be committed to specific cell lineages to better infiltrate and proliferate at a desired target, e.g., a tissue, or organ in need of cell replacement therapy. For providing cells and tissues for transplant to a non-human mammal, the cells and tissues can be isolated from a gastrulating embryo produced by same-species nuclear transfer.
Abstract:
The invention provides a method for effecting the de-differentiation of a somatic cell by culturing the cell in the absence of growth factors, cytokines, or other differentiation-inducing agents, and introducing components of cytoplasm of plutipotent cells into the somatic cell and allowing the cell to de-differentiate. The method can be used with somatic cells of any type, from any species of animal. The pluripotent cells may be oocytes, blastomeres, inner cell mass cells, embryonic stem cells, embryonic germ cells, embryos consisting of one or more cells, embryoid body (embryoid) cells, moruia-derived cells, teratoma (teratocarcinoma) cells, as well as multipotent partially differentiated embryonic stem cells taken from later in the embryonic development process. After being de-differentiated, the cell can be induced to re-differentiate into a different somatic cell type. A method for de-differentiating a somatic cell and inducing it to re-differentiate into a cell of neural lineage is disclosed.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method of making pluripotent stem cells that does not involve the formation of early preimplantation embryos or fetal tissue. The method has general utility in the production of pluripotent stem cells from many mammalian species but has particular application in man where pluripotent stem cell production can be customized to particular human individual. The method involves the fusion of donor somatic or stem cells (or their karyoplasts) with cytoplasmic, membrane-delimited fragments of mammalian oocytes or zygotes. After the initial genomic reprogramming occurs, the cells can proliferate and thus multiply in vitro yielding a large number of autologous cells for cell therapy application. The result of this process is a cell population genomically identical to the somatic, differentiated cells derived from an individual patient. However, these cells are pluripotent in that upon application of specific growth factors, the cells are capable of differentiating into specific cell types as required by the sought clinical indication.
Abstract:
The invention provides a scaffold of extracellular matrix polymers with recombinant chimeric peptides tethered thereto. The invention also provides recombinant chimeric peptides of antimicrobial peptides and extracellular matrix binding domains. The invention also provides methods for treating chronic wounds using the scaffold and/or recombinant chimeric peptides.
Abstract:
De-differentiation protocols are described herein for generating progenitor cells from adult connective tissue, in particular adult human fibroblasts. The de-differentiation protocols described herein comprise culturing the differentiated cells with an amount of FGF2 to de-differentiate the cells. These de-differentiated cells may then be cultured and used for experimentation, amplification and clinical applications. The clinical applications include the use of the cells for tissue and cell based therapies.
Abstract:
The invention provides methods for rapid, continuous generation of cells and cell products using magnetically stabilized three-dimensional tissue culture. The invention also pertains to a continuous flow self-regulating closed system bioreactor system for magnetically stabilized three-dimensional tissue culture. The methods described here do not use traditional solid scaffolding for cell culture.