Geron Corporation

Becton Dickinson and Company Limited

Asterias Biotherapeutic, Inc.

Margaret Inokuma

Melissa K Carpenter

Joseph D Gold

Chunhui Xu

Gregory J Fisk

Michael D West

James T Murai

Choy-Pik Chiu

Andrea G Bodnar

Walter D Funk

R Scott Thies

Smita Ghanekar

Marja Suni

Rachna Sehgal

Hema Shah

Jerrod J Denham

Dried dye reagent devices are provided. Aspects of the devices include a container having positioned therein one or more dried dye compositions that include one or more dyes stably associated with a high surface area solid support. Aspects of the invention further include methods of making and using the devices, e.g., in analyte detection applications, as well as kits containing the devices.

Dried dye reagent devices and methods for making and using the same

Methods for obtaining a tuberculosis assessment in a subject are provided. Aspects of the methods include assaying a tuberculosis (TB) activated sample from the subject for at least one of: (i) CD154T cells; and (ii) T cells having a central memory phenotype, such as a CM1 phenotype, CM2 phenotype or a CM3 phenotype; to obtain a TB biomarker signature, and then deriving a tuberculosis assessment for the subject from the TB biomarker signature. Aspects of the invention further include reagents, devices, systems, and kits thereof that find use in practicing the subject methods are provided. The methods and compositions find use in a variety of applications, including TB diagnosis and monitoring of TB treatment.

Methods and compositions for obtaining a tuberculosis assessment in a subject

This disclosure provides a system for producing pancreatic islet cells from embryonic stem cells. Differentiation is initiated towards endoderm cells, and focused using reagents that promote emergence of islet precursors and mature insulin-secreting cells. High quality populations of islet cells can be produced in commercial quantities for use in research, drug screening, or regenerative medicine.

Drug screening using islet cells and islet cell progenitors from human embryonic stem cells

Methods and materials for culturing primate-derived primordial stem cells are described. In one embodiment, a cell culture medium for growing primate-derived primordial stem cells in a substantially undifferentiated state is provided which includes a low osmotic pressure, low endotoxin basic medium that is effective to support the growth of primate-derived primordial stem cells. The basic medium is combined with a nutrient serum effective to support the growth of primate-derived primordial stem cells and a substrate selected from feeder cells and an extracellular matrix component derived from feeder cells. The medium further includes non-essential amino acids, an anti-oxidant, and a first growth factor selected from nucleosides and a pyruvate salt.

Feeder-free culture method for embryonic stem cells or primate primordial stem cells

This disclosure provides a system for obtaining genetically altered primate pluripotent stem (pPS) cells. The role of the feeder cells is replaced by supporting the culture on an extracellular matrix, and culturing the cells in a conditioned medium. The cells can be genetically altered with a viral vector or DNA/lipid complex, and then selected for successful transfection by drug-resistant phenotype in the transfected cells. The system allows for bulk proliferation of genetically altered pPS cells as important products for use in human therapy or drug screening.

Human embryonic stem cells having genetic modifications

Endoderm cells from human embryonic stem cells

This invention provides populations of neural progenitor cells and differentiated neurons, obtained by culturing pluripotent cells in special growth cocktails. The technology can be used to produce progenitors that proliferate through at least &#x2dc;40 doublings, while maintaining the ability to differentiate into a variety of different neural phenotypes, including dopaminergic neurons. The neural progenitors and terminally differentiated neurons of this invention can be generated in large quantities for use in drug screening and the treatment of neurological disorders.

Screening small molecule drugs using neural cells differentiated from human embryonic stem cells

This disclosure provides an improved system for culturing human pluripotent stem (pPS) cells in the absence of feeder cells. The role of the feeder cells can be replaced by supporting the culture on an extracellular matrix, and culturing the cells in a conditioned medium. Permanent cell lines are provided that can produce conditioned medium on a commercial scale. Methods have also been discovered to genetically alter pPS cells by introducing the cells with a viral vector or DNA/lipid complex. The system described in this disclosure allows for bulk proliferation of pPS cells for use in studying the biology of pPS cell differentiation, and the production of important products for use in human therapy.

Use of human embryonic stem cells for drug screening and toxicity testing

Islet cells from human embryonic stem cells

Methods and materials for culturing primate-derived primordial stem cells are described. In one embodiment, a cell culture medium for growing primate-derived primordial stem cells in a substantially undifferentiated state is provided which includes a low osmotic pressure, low endotoxin basic medium that is effective to support the growth of primate-derived primordial stem cells. The basic medium is combined with a nutrient serum effective to support the growth of primate-derived primordial stem cells and a substrate selected from the group consisting of feeder cells and an extracellular matrix component derived from feeder cells. The medium further includes non-essential amino acids, an anti-oxidant, and a first growth factor selected from the group consisting of nucleosides and a pyruvate salt.

Methods and materials for the growth of primate-derived primordial stem cells in feeder-free culture

This disclosure provides a system for obtaining expression libraries from primate pluripotent stem (pPS) cells. pPS cells can be maintained in vitro without requiring a layer of feeder cells to inhibit differentiation. The role of the feeder cells is replaced by several other culture conditions provided in a suitable combination. Conditions that promote pPS cell growth without differentiation include supporting the culture on an extracellular matrix, and culturing the cells in a medium conditioned by another cell type. The cDNA libraries from such cultures are devoid of transcripts of feeder cell origin, relatively uncontaminated by transcripts from differentiated cells, and can have a high proportion of full-length transcripts. Subtraction libraries can also be produced that are enriched for transcripts modulated during differentiation.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Margaret Inokuma