39 results about "Neural degeneration" patented technology

There is provided a method of inducing differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells to neural cells or skeletal muscle cells by introduction of a Notch gene. Specifically, the invention provides a method of inducing differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells to neural cells or skeletal muscle cells in vitro, which method comprises introducing a Notch gene and / or a Notch signaling related gene into the cells, wherein the finally obtained differentiated cells are the result of cell division of the bone marrow stromal cells into which the Notch gene and / or Notch signaling related gene have been introduced. The invention also provides a method of inducing further differentiation of the differentiation-induced neural cells to dopaminergic neurons or acetylcholinergic neurons. The invention yet further provides a treatment method for neurodegenerative and skeletal muscle degenerative diseases which employs neural precursor cells, neural cells or skeletal muscle cells produced by the method of the invention.

The invention relates to the use of cannabinoid-containing plant extracts in the prevention or treatment of neural degeneration. In particular, the invention relates to use of one or more cannabinoid-containing plant extracts in the prevention or treatment of neural degeneration, wherein the one or more cannabinoid-containing plant extracts comprise: i) a cannabinoid-containing fraction; and ii) a non-cannabinoid containing fraction.

The invention relates to an indoleamine2,3-dioxygenase inhibitor having a structure as shown in a formula (I), as well as a preparation method and application thereof. The IDO inhibitor is (Z)-N'-hydroxyl-N-benzoate derivative, has high inhibiting activity for IDO, can be used for effectively inhibiting the IDO activity and inhibiting immunosuppression of patients, can be widely applied to treatment or prevention of cancer or tumors, virus infection, depression, neural degeneration disease, trauma, age related cataract, organ transplant rejection or autoimmune disease, and is expected to be developed into a new generation of immunosuppressors.

A specific clinical protocol for use toward therapy of defective, diseased and damaged neurons in the mammalian brain, of particular usefulness for treatment of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The protocol is practiced by directly delivering a definite concentration of recombinant neurotrophin, into a targeted region of the brain using an expression vector. The neurotrophin is delivered to, or within close proximity of, identified defective, diseased or damaged brain cells. The method stimulates growth of targeted neurons, and reversal of functional deficits associated with the neurodegenerative disease being treated.

This invention relates to the novel identification of myelin-associated glycoprotein ("MAG") as a potent inhibitor of neural regeneration. More particularly, this invention relates to compositions and methods useful for reversing inhibition of neural regeneration in the central and peripheral nervous system. Assays to monitor the effects of MAG on neural regeneration and to identify agents which will block or promote the inhibitory effects of MAG on neural outgrowth are provided. Screening methods for identifying such agents are also provided. This invention also relates to compositions and methods using agents that can reverse the inhibitory effects of MAG on neural regeneration. Methods for regulating and for promoting neural growth or regeneration in the nervous system, methods for treating injuries or damage to nervous tissue or neurons, and methods for treating neural degeneration associated with disorders or diseases, comprising the step of administering at least one of the compositions according to this invention are provided.

The present invention is related generally to embryonic-like stem cells isolated from adult human peripheral blood, designated herein as peripheral blood-stem cells (PB-SC), which display the characteristics of embryonic stem cells and hematopoietic cells. These cells have the capability of proliferation and are able to differentiate to other types of cells. These cells are, therefore, suitable for use in stem cell-based therapies, particularly autologous stem cell therapies, for the treatment of various diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, spinal cord damage, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, stroke and birth defects.

The present invention relates to the use of umbilical cord blood cells from a donor or patient to provide neural cells which may be used in transplantation. The isolated cells according to the present invention may be used to effect autologous and allogeneic transplantation and repair of neural tissue, in particular, tissue of the brain and spinal cord and to treat neurodegenerative diseases of the brain and spinal cord.

Methods for producing a population of human-derived glial restricted progenitor cells (GRPs) with decreased potentially unintended or undesired cellular phenotypes and / or decreased standard deviation in the cells of the population are provided. Also provided are antibody panels and gene expression profiles to characterize GRPs and a method for its use in characterizing GRP cells. In addition methods for use of these GRP cells to generate astrocytes and / or oligodendrocytes, to re-myelinate neurons and to treat glial cell related and other neurodegenerative diseases or disorders or injuries or damage to the nervous system are provided. A method to manufacture neural cells depleted of A2B5 positive cells is also provided.

The present invention provides a method of differentiating and proliferating a mesenchymal stem cell into the neural cell by culturing in a medium comprising an epidermal growth factor and a hepatocyte growth factor after confluent culture of the mesenchymal stem cell. The present invention provides more effective method of differentiating and proliferating the mesenchymal stem cell or the mononuclear cell comprising the mesenchymal stem cell into the neural cell with a neuron and an astrocyte in terms of time, efficiency and maturity as compared with conventional methods.

Disclosed herein are methods for generating dopaminergic neurons in vitro by inhibiting a pathway component of a TGF-β signaling pathway and overexpressing one or more cell fate-inducing polypeptides in pluripotent cells, causing differentiation of the pluripotent cells into dopaminergic neurons. Also disclosed are methods for treating a neurodegenerative disease in a patient by generating dopaminergic neurons in vitro, and transplanting them into the brain of the patient, such that the dopaminergic neurons are sufficient to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease.

Transgenic non-mammalian animals, e.g. flies, that exhibit an adult onset neurodegenerative phenotype, as well as methods for preparing the same, are provided. Also provided are methods of using the subject transgenic non-mammalian animals to identify compounds having activity with respect to adult onset neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, kits for screening compounds for anti-neurodegenerative activity are provided.

The present invention relates generally to products, compositions and methods useful for promoting neural repair and regeneration. The products and compositions of this invention include myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) derivatives that are inhibitors of endogenous MAG (e.g., mutant MAG proteins) and Nogo Receptor (NgR) binding inhibitors that are peptides derived from MAG, Nogo and OMgp that can bind to NgR and block NgR signaling. Peptides that can bind and activate NgR signaling are also provided. Inhibitory MAG derivatives and NgR binding inhibitors are useful for blocking the inhibition of neural regeneration mediated by proteins such as MAG, Nogo and / or OMgp in the nervous system. These inhibitors are also useful for treating neural degeneration associated with injuries, disorders or diseases.

A method of treating a subject and preventing in a subject age-dependent basal forebrain cholinergic dysfunction related neurodegenerative disorders, comprising: administering a lipid composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of highly enriched 1-acyl chains / 2-docosahexaenoic acid containing molecular species of highly pure phospholipids to promote survival of aged basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, the phospholipids selected from the group consisting of phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidyl-monomethylethanolamine. A composition for treating a subject and preventing in a subject age-dependent basal forebrain cholinergic dysfunction related neurodegenerative disorders, the composition comprising: a lipid composition comprising: a therapeutically effective amount of highly enriched 1-acyl chains / 2-docosahexaenoic acid containing molecular species of highly pure phospholipids to promote survival of aged basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, the phospholipids selected from the group consisting of phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidyl-monomethylethanolamine. A process for preparing a lipid composition comprising a therapeutically amount of natural source-based highly enriched 1-acyl chains / 2-docosahexaenoic acid containing molecular species of highly pure phosphatidylserine to promote survival of aged basal forebrain cholinergic neurons; the process comprising: purifying a natural source-based phosphatidylcholine by silica chromatography; obtaining a related lysophosphatidylserine species by phospholipase A2 catalysis of transphosphatidylated natural source-based phosphatidylserine species; acylating the lysophosphatidylserine species with natural docosahexaenoic acid to form 1-acyl chains / 2-docosahexaenoic acid containing phosphatidylserine species; and purifying the 1-acyl cgains / 2-docosahexaenoic acid containing phosphatidylserine species by silica chromatography.

To supply substantially isolated neural cells in a large amount, and to provide an application means for a neuroregenerative medicine or the like for a neurodegenerative disease, a nervous damage or the like. A method for producing a substantially isolated neural cell, comprising the step of carrying out the suspension culture of embryonic stem cells in the presence of an astrocyte conditioned medium or ingredients substantially equivalent to the conditioned medium; and a neural cell obtained thereby; a cell pharmaceutical composition comprising, as an active ingredient, the isolated neural stem cell; and a method for treating a neurodegenerative disease or nervous damage, comprising the step of introducing the neural cell into a neurodegenerative site or a nervous damage site.

A method of differentiating adult stem cells, such as those derived from a teratocarcinoma cell line, the Ntera2 / D1 clone (NT2). The developed cells exhibit a stable neurotransmitter phenotype without the required use of growth factors or retinoic acid in differentiation process, which may be difficult to completely remove during commercial production. An identification of specific neurotransmitters is possible in these differentiated NT2-derived neurons (NT2-N) after 30 days in culture or 30 days survival in vivo. The invention includes a method to stably differentiate neuronal stem / precursor cells to a neuronal phenotype for use in cell replacement therapy for neurodegenerative disease, stroke or spinal cord injury. At least four different types of neurons are produced from this method of differentiation: dopaminergic, cholinergic, GABAergic and glutaminergic. Additionally, since the cells are a cancer stem cell prior to differentiation, they may serve as a model system for developing anti-cancer therapies aimed at the cancer stem cell, rather than the more differentiated daughter cell.