Reneuron, Inc.

Amcyte, Inc.

Vivorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Abraxis Bioscience, LLC

Tianli Zheng

Wen-Ghih Tsang

Wei Liu

Patrick Soon-Shiong

Neil P Desai

Shlomo Magdassi

Chunlin Tao

Andrew Yang

Yanping Wang

Zhiwen Yao

Chang Jiang Huang

Leslie Louie

The invention relates to the discovery of a selective cell surface marker that permits the selection of a unique subset of pancreatic stems cells having a high propensity to differentiate into insulin producing cells or into insulin producing cell aggregates.

CD56 positive human adult pancreatic endocrine progenitor cells

This invention relates to the discovery that an intermediate, differentiated stage of pancreatic stem cells exist that can be matured in situ into a stable cell line that produces insulin in response to glucose. These cells are advantageous in that they are both expandable and stable in culture. This invention avoids the step of culturing the intermediate stage stem cells into later stage pancreatic cells.

In situ maturation of cultured pancreatic stem cells having a specified, intermediate stage of development

This invention relates to the discovery that an intermediate, differentiated stage of pancreatic stem cells exist that can be propagated in a stable manner in successive serial passaging while maintaining insulin production in response to glucose. These cells are advantageous in that they are both expandable and stable in culture and can driven to late stage development, i.e. prototype islet cells. This invention further provides for culturing techniques that select for these intermediate differentiated stage cells and selectively eliminates early or late stage pancreatic cells.

Culturing pancreatic stem cells having a specified, intermediate stage of development

In accordance with the present invention, there are provided compositions and methods useful for the in vivo delivery of substantially water insoluble pharmacologically active agents (such as the anticancer drug paclitaxel) in which the pharmacologically active agent is delivered in the form of suspended particles coated with protein (which acts as a stabilizing agent). In particular, protein and pharmacologically active agent in a biocompatible dispersing medium are subjected to high shear, in the absence of any conventional surfactants, and also in the absence of any polymeric core material for the particles. The procedure yields particles with a diameter of less than about 1 micron. The use of specific composition and preparation conditions (e.g., addition of a polar solvent to the organic phase), and careful selection of the proper organic phase and phase fraction, enables the reproducible production of unusually small nanoparticles of less than 200 nm diameter, which can be sterile-filtered. The particulate system produced according to the invention can be converted into a redispersible dry powder comprising nanoparticles of water-insoluble drug coated with a protein, and free protein to which molecules of the pharmacological agent are bound. This results in a unique delivery system, in which part of the pharmacologically active agent is readily bioavailable (in the form of molecules bound to the protein), and part of the agent is present within particles without any polymeric matrix therein.

Protein stabilized pharmacologically active agents, methods for the

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Culver City, CA, United States of America

Tianli Zheng