244 results about "Cell phenotype" patented technology

Existence of human trophoblast stem (hTS) cells has been suspected but unproved. The isolation of hTS cells is reported in the early stage of chorionic villi by expressions of FGF4, FGFR-2, Oct4, Thy-1, and stage-specific embryonic antigens distributed in different compartments of the cell. hTS cells are able to derive into specific cell phenotypes of the three primitive embryonic layers, produce chimeric reactions in mice, and retain a normal karyotype and telomere length. In hTS cells, Oct4 and fgfr-2 expressions can be knockdown by bFGF. These facts suggest that differentiation of the hTS cells play an important role in implantation and placentation. hTS cells could be apply to human cell differentiation and for gene and cell-based therapies.

Systems and methods for modeling the interactions of the several genes, proteins and other components of a cell, employing mathematical techniques to represent the interrelationships between the cell components and the manipulation of the dynamics of the cell to determine which components of a cell may be targets for interaction with therapeutic agents. A first such method is based on a cell simulation approach in which a cellular biochemical network intrinsic to a phenotype of the cell is simulated by specifying its components and their interrelationships. The various interrelationships are represented with one or more mathematical equations which are solved to simulate a first state of the cell. The simulated network is then perturbed by deleting one or more components, changing the concentration of one or more components, or modifying one or more mathematical equations representing the interrelationships between one or more of the components. The equations representing the perturbed network are solved to simulate a second state of the cell which is compared to the first state to identify the effect of the perturbation on the state of the network, thereby identifying one or more components as targets. A second method for identifying components of a cell as targets for interaction with therapeutic agents is based upon an analytical approach, in which a stable phenotype of a cell is specified and correlated to the state of the cell and the role of that cellular state to its operation. A cellular biochemical network believed to be intrinsic to that phenotype is then specified by identifying its components and their interrelationships and representing those interrelationships in one or more mathematical equations. The network is then perturbed and the equations representing the perturbed network are solved to determine whether the perturbation is likely to cause the transition of the cell from one phenotype to another, thereby identifying one or more components as targets.

This invention relates, e.g., to a method for expanding mammalian acinar cells, comprising culturing the cells in a cell culture system comprising a cell culture medium and a cell attachment surface, under conditions wherein the acinar cells undergo a 3-4 fold expansion together with transdifferentiation into a modified cell phenotype (IP cells) showing characteristics of acinar cells and liver cells. The invention also relates to a method for transforming these IP cells to insulin-producing cells in vitro, comprising culturing the cells in a novel, defined medium. Also disclosed are suitable culture media for performing these methods, isolated cells having the phenotype of IP cells and / or produced by these methods, and kits for performing the methods.