Geron Corporation

University of Colorado

Other

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Biotime, Inc.

University Technology Corporation

Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Agex Therapeutics, Inc.

Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

Karen B Chapman

William H Andrews

Calvin B Harley

Thomas R Cech

Gregg B Morin

Joachim Lingner

Toru M Nakamura

Michael D West

Hal Sternberg

Irina V Klimanskaya

Walter D Funk

Raymond L Page

Roy Geoffrey Sargent

Hans R Schoeler

Raymond Page

Cregg B Morin

William H c/o Serra Sciences Inc Andrews

Aspects of the present invention include methods and compositions related to the modulation of molecules regulating the regenerative potential of cells and tissues in the embryonic state and the loss thereof in later fetal and adult stages of development. Said methods and compositions have uses in research in stem cell biology and in increasing regenerative potential in fetal and adult tissues otherwise incapable of regeneration.

Compositions and methods for induced tissue regeneration in mammalian species

Aspects of the present invention include methods and compositions related to the production and use of numerous clonal lineages of embryonic progenitor cell lines derived from differentiating cultures of primordial stem cells with diverse molecular markers and having been cultured for &#x3e;21 doublings of clonal expansion. The robustness of these clonally-purified lines, their ability to expand for &#x3e;40 passages while maintaining their pattern of gene expression, lack of tumorigenicity, and their embryonic pattern of gene expression offers novel compositions and methods for modeling numerous differentiation pathways for the first time in vitro, and for the manufacture of purified product not existing in such a purified state in nature or using other manufacturing modalities. Representative progenitor cell lines described herein are capable of development into cutaneous adipocytes, blood-brain barrier cells, neuronal cells, or smooth muscle cells each with therapeutic potential.

Methods of screening embryonic progenitor cell lines

The generation of clinical-grade cell-based therapies from human embryonic stein cells or cells reprogrammed to pluripotency from somatic cells, requires stringent quality controls to insure that the cells have long enough telomeres and resulting cellular lifespan to be clinically useful, and normal gene expression and genomic integrity so as to insure cells with a desired and reproducible phenotype and to reduce the risk of the malignant transformation of cells. Assays useful in identifying human embryonic stem cell lines and pluripotent cells resulting from the transcriptional reprogramming of somatic cells that have embryonic telomere length are described as well as quality control assays for screening genomic integrity in cells expanded and banked for therapeutic use, as well as assays to identify cells capable of abnormal immortalization.

Methods for telomere length and genomic DNA quality control analysis in pluripotent stem cells

This invention generally relates to methods to obtain mammalian cells and tissues with patterns of gene expression similar to that of a developing mammalian embryo or fetus, and the use of such cells and tissues in the treatment of human disease and age-related conditions. More particularly, the invention relates to methods for identifying, expanding in culture, and formulating mammalian pluripotent stem cells and differentiated cells that differ from cells in the adult human in their pattern of gene expression, and therefore offer unique characteristics that provide novel therapeutic strategies in the treatment of degenerative disease.

Methods of reprogramming animal somatic cells

The vast differentiation potential of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells, including their potential to cascade through all of the somatic cell lineages and to display the complete transcriptional regulatory network of human biology, has generated interest in deriving scalable, purified, and identified cell types and methods of discovering the precise structure of the human regulatory network. However, the innate capacity of pluripotent cells to display all these lineages is not necessarily reflected during their culture in vitro. The clonal isolation and propagation of progenitors greatly facilitates the generation of highly purified and identified formulations for research and therapeutic purposes. Nevertheless, other cell types have yet to be isolated and propagated from normal cells and methods of isolating said novel cell types as well as methods for introducing perturbations into the transcriptional regulatory network in order to construct a computer model of the entire human transcriptional regulatory network would greatly benefit basic research as well as manufacturing technology for cell-based therapies.

Methods of modifying transcriptional regulatory networks in stem cells

Methods for de-differentiating or altering the life-span of desired 'recipient' cells, e.g., human somatic cells, by the introduction of cytoplasm from a more primitive, less differentiated cell type, e.g., oocyte or blastomere are provided. These methods can be used to produce embryonic stem cells and to increase the efficiency of gene therapy by allowing for desired cells to be subjected to multiple genetic modifications without becoming senescent. Such cytoplasm may be fractionated and/or subjected to subtractive hybridization and the active materials (sufficient for de-differentiation) identified and produced by recombinant methods.

ES cell cytoplasm or ooplasm transfer to rejuventate recipient cells

The invention relates to assays for screening growth factors, adhesion molecules, immunostimulatory molecules, extracellular matrix components and other materials, alone or in combination, simultaneously or temporally, for the ability to induce directed differentiation of pluripotent and multipotent stem cells.

Differentiating ES cells using a tenascin

The invention provides compositions and methods related to human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTRT), the catalytic protein subunit of human telomerase. The polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention are useful for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human diseases, for changing the proliferative capacity of cells and organisms, and for identification and screening of compounds and treatments useful for treatment of diseases such as cancers.

Method for eliciting an immune response to human telomerase reverse transcriptase

Aspects of the present invention include methods and compositions related to the production, identification and use of embryonic progenitor cell lines that are capable of undergoing chondrogenesis. A number of exemplary chondrogenic cell lines derived from primordial stem cells are disclosed. The chondrogenic cell lines described herein are robust, can expand for &#x3e;40 passages, and have site-specific purity, thus providing for compositions and methods of producing diverse cartilage types with unique molecular compositions for use in research and therapy.

Methods and compositions for in vitro and in vivo chondrogenesis

The present invention provides methods for the culture of animal pluripotent stem cells and their differentiated progeny cells, tissues, and organs, and nonhuman animal embryos and fetuses.

Growing community of inventors

Sausalito, CA, United States of America

Karen B Chapman