230 results about "Neurulation" patented technology

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.

A method for differentiating mesenchymal stem cells of bone marrow into neural cells comprises culturing the mesenchymal stem cells in a medium containing epidermal growth factor(EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) and hepatocyte growth factor(HGF), and the neural cells produced thereby can be employed for the treatment of a neural disease.

Disclosed are methods and compositions for maintaining neural pathways in a mammal including: enhancing survival of neurons at risk of dying; inducing cellular repair of damaged neurons and neural pathways; stimulating neurons to maintain their differentiated phenotype; and promoting dendritic outgrowth, including maintaining dendritic arbors and regenerating dendritic architecture. In one embodiment, the invention provides means for stimulating CAM expression in neurons. The invention also provides means for evaluating the status of nerve tissue, including means for detecting and monitoring neuropathies in a mammal. The methods, devices and compositions include a morphogen or morphogen-stimulating agent provided to the mammal in a therapeutically effective concentration. In another embodiment, the invention provides methods and compositions which include a morphogen or morphogen-stimulating agent, and a nerve trophic factor or nerve trophic factor-stimulating agent at concentrations effective for stimulating dendrite outgrowth. The morphogen and the nerve trophic factor can be admixed in combination.

The present invention relates to placenta tissue-derived multipotent stem cells and cell therapeutic agents containing the same. More specifically, to a method for producing placenta stem cells having the following characteristics, the method comprising culturing amnion, chorion, decidua or placenta tissue in a medium containing collagenase and bFGF and collecting the cultured cells: (a) showing a positive immunological response to CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90 and CD105, and showing a negative immunological response to CD31, CD34, CD45 and HLA-DR; (b) showing a positive immunological response to Oct4 and SSEA4; (c) growing attached to plastic, showing a round-shaped or spindle-shaped morphology, and forming spheres in an SFM medium so as to be able to be maintained in an undifferentiated state for a long period of time; and (d) having the ability to differentiate into mesoderm-, endoderm- and ectoderm-derived cells. Also the present invention relates to placenta stem cells obtained using the production method. The inventive multipotent stem cells have the ability to differentiate into muscle cells, vascular endothelial cells, osteogenic cells, nerve cells, satellite cells, fat cells, cartilage-forming cells, osteogenic cells, or insuline-secreting pancreatic β-cells, and thus are effective for the treatment of muscular diseases, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, nervous diseases, diabetes and the like, and are useful for the formation of breast tissue.

The present invention relates generally to the field of cell biology of stem cells, more specifically the directed differentiation of pluripotent or multipotent stem cells, including human embryonic stem cells (hESC), somatic stem cells, and induced human pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) using novel culture conditions. Specifically, methods are provided for obtaining neural tissue, floor plate cells, and placode including induction of neural plate development in hESCs for obtaining midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons, motorneurons, and sensory neurons. Further, neural plate tissue obtained using methods of the present inventions are contemplated for use in co-cultures with other tissues as inducers for shifting differentiation pathways, i.e. patterning.

The present invention makes available a method for inducing neuronal differentiation and preventing the death or degeneration of neuronal cells both in vitro and in vivo. The subject method stems from the unexpected finding that, contrary to traditional understanding of neural induction, the default fate of ectodermal tissue is neuronal rather than mesodermal and/or epidermal. In particular, it has been discovered that preventing or antagonizing a signaling pathway in a cell for a growth factor of the TGF-β family can result in neuronal differentiation of that cell.

At least partial function of a human limb is restored by surgically removing at least a portion of an injured or diseased human limb from a surgical site of an individual and transplanting a selected muscle into the remaining biological body of the individual, followed by contacting the transplanted selected muscle, or an associated nerve, with an electrode, to thereby control a device, such as a prosthetic limb, linked to the electrode. Simulating proprioceptive sensory feedback from a device includes mechanically linking at least one pair of agonist and antagonist muscles, wherein a nerve innervates each muscle, and supporting each pair with a support, whereby contraction of the agonist muscle of each pair will cause extension of the paired antagonist muscle. An electrode is implanted in a muscle of each pair and electrically connected to a motor controller of the device, thereby simulating proprioceptive sensory feedback from the device.

This invention relates to a method of selectively producing neural cells, including neurons or glial cells, in vitro or in vivo. Also provided are methods of treating or ameliorating neurodegenerative disease or medical conditions by producing neural cells. Thus, a combination of factors is used to achieve two steps: increasing the number of neural stem cells and instructing the neural stem cells to selectively become neurons or glial cells.

This invention provides populations of neural cells bearing markers of glial cells, such as oligodendrocytes and their precursors. The populations are generated by differentiating pluripotent stem cells such as human embryonic stem cells under conditions that promote enrichment of cells with the desired phenotype or functional capability. Various combinations of differentiation factors and mitogens can be used to produce cell populations that are over 95% homogeneous in morphological appearance, and the expression of oligodendrocyte markers such as GalC. The cells are capable of forming myelin sheaths, and can be used therapeutically improve function of the central nervous system.

Described herein is conduit material that causes minimal inflammatory reaction, and serves as a structural guide for regenerating nerve tissue (e.g., axons). Thus, the invention is directed to methods of treating a nerve injury in an individual in need thereof. The methods employ an isolated, naturally occurring epineural sheath, and can be used, for example, to regenerate nerve tissue in an individual in need thereof. Also provided herein is a device for harvesting an epineural sheath.

Provided are cortical interneurons and other neuronal cells and in vitro methods for producing such cortical interneurons and other neuronal cells by the directed differentiation of stem cells and neuronal progenitor cells. The present disclosure relates to novel methods of in vitro differentiation of stem cells and neural progenitor cells to produce several type neuronal cells and their precursor cells, including cortical interneurons, hypothalamic neurons and pre-optic cholinergic neurons. The present disclose describes the derivation of these cells via inhibiting SMAD and Wnt signaling pathways and activating SHH signaling pathway. The present disclosure relates to the novel discovery that the timing and duration of SHH activation can be harnessed to direct controlled differentiation of neural progenitor cells into either cortical interneurons, hypothalamic neurons or pre-optic cholinergic neurons. The present disclosure also relates to compositions of cortical interneurons, hypothalamic neurons or pre-optic cholinergic neurons, and their precursors, that are highly enriched and can be used in variety of application. These cells can be used therapeutically to treat neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, and can be used for disease modeling and drug screening.

The present invention provides a method for inducing differentiation of an embryonic stem cell into a differentiated neural cell. The present invention further provides a method for producing differentiated neural cells, and a population of cells comprising the differentiated neural cells. Additionally, the present invention provides a method for repopulating a spinal cord in a subject, and a method for treating nervous tissue degeneration in a subject in need of treatment. The present invention further provides neural progenitor cells, differentiated neural cells, and uses of same. Also provided is a transgenic non-human animal containing the differentiated neural cells. The present invention is further directed to a method for isolating a population of differentiated neural cells. Finally, the present invention provides a method for identifying an agent for use in treating a condition associated with neuron degeneration.

An isolated expandable human neural stem or progenitor cell wherein the cell is a progenitor cells or stem cell, maintains its capability to differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, maintains its ability to differentiate into oligodendrocyte lineage cells efficiently throughout subsequent passages, and the cell expresses at least cell surface antigens CD133 and CD140α. Also provided is a method of in vitro culturing an expandable neural progenitor or stem cell isolated from a mammalian central nervous system, and the culture itself, wherein said cell maintains its capability to differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes and its ability to differentiate into oligodendrocyte-lineage cells efficiently. In addition, a method of treating a condition caused by a loss of myelin or a loss of oligodendrocytes is provided as is a composition comprising an isolated expandable neural stem cell or one cultured by the methods of the invention.

Using a novel culture approach, previously unknown populations of neural progenitor cells have been found within an adult mammalian brain. By limiting cell-cell contact, dissociated adult brain yields at least two types of cell aggregates. These aggregates or clones of stem/precursor cells can be generated from adult brain tissue with significantly long postmortem intervals. Both neurons and glia arise from stem/precursor cells of these cultures, and the cells can survive transplantation to the adult mammalian brain.

A method for inducing differentiation of an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell and an ectoderm-derived cell, which comprises culturing the embryonic stem cell under non-aggregation conditions; a medium and a medium supernatant used in the method; an agent for inducing differentiation used in the method; a stroma cell or a stroma cell-derived factor having activity of inducing differentiation in the method; an antibody which specifically recognizes the stroma cell; an antigen which recognizes the antibody; a cell induced by the method; a method for evaluating or screening a substance relating to the regulation in a differentiation step from an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell or an ectoderm-derived cell by carrying out the method; and a medicament comprising the stroma cell, the stroma cell-derived cell, the antibody, the antigen or the cell.

The invention provides a method for inducing and culturing umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into nerve cells. According to the invention, a combined method of two steps of pre-induction and induction is adopted, and an optimized pre-induction culture solution and an induction culture solution are prepared. The induction mode is short in induction period and high in cell differentiation homogeneity. Electrophysiological detection finds that the obtained nerve cells have the function of induced electric discharge, which indicates that the induced nerve cells are obtained successfully.

The invention relates to methods of treating diseases and disorders of the muscle tissues in a vertebrate by the administration of compounds which bind the p185^erbB2 receptor. These compounds are found to cause increased differentiation and survival of cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle.