Embryonic stem cells capable of differentiating into desired cell lines
First Claim
1. A method of producing a desired cell line from embryonic stem cells, comprising:
- (a) culturing embryonic stem cells under conditions which promote growth of said cells at an optimal growth rate; and
(b) culturing said embryonic stem cells under conditions which promote growth of said cells at a rate which is less than that of said optimal growth rate, and in the presence of an agent which promotes differentiation of said embryonic stem cells into said desired cell line.
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Abstract
An embryonic stem cell which may be induced to differentiate homogeneously into a desired primary cell line. The embryonic stem cell may be engineered with DNA, which encodes a protein or polypeptide which promotes differentiation of the stem cell into a specific cell line, such as, for example, a neuronal cell line, a muscle cell line, or a hematopoietic cell line. The DNA may encode a transcription factor found in the particular cell line. In another alternative, a desired cell line is produced from embryonic stem cells by culturing embryonic stem cells under conditions which provide for a three-dimensional network of embryonic stem cells, and then stimulating embryonic stem cells with an agent, such as retinoic acid, or dimethylsulfoxide, which promotes differentiation of the embryonic stem cells into the desired cell line, such as, for example, a neuronal cell line, or a muscle cell line.
45 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of producing a desired cell line from embryonic stem cells, comprising:
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(a) culturing embryonic stem cells under conditions which promote growth of said cells at an optimal growth rate; and
(b) culturing said embryonic stem cells under conditions which promote growth of said cells at a rate which is less than that of said optimal growth rate, and in the presence of an agent which promotes differentiation of said embryonic stem cells into said desired cell line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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16. An embryonic stem cell, said embryonic stem cell having been engineered with DNA which encodes a protein or polypeptide which promotes differentiation of said cell into a specific cell line.
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24. A method of producing a desired cell line from embryonic stem cells, comprising:
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engineering said embryonic stem cells with DNA which encodes a protein or polypeptide which promotes differentiation of said embryonic stem cells into a specific cell line; and
stimulating said embryonic stem cells with an agent which promotes differentiation of said embryonic stem cells into said desired cell line.
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29. A method of screening embryonic stem cells for proteins which induce differentiation of embryonic stem cells into a desired cell line comprising:
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(a) obtaining RNA from a desired cell or tissue;
(b) constructing cDNA libraries from said RNA obtained from said desired cell or tissue;
(c) cloning such cDNA libraries into expression vectors;
(d) transfecting said vectors into eukaryotic cells;
(e) contacting embryonic stem cells with culture supernatant from said transfected eukaryotic cells to determine if proteins contained in said culture supernatant induce differentiation of said embryonic stem cells into a desired cell line;
(f) obtaining cDNA clones from those cells which induce differentiation of embryonic stem cells into a desired cell line;
(g) transfecting said cDNA clones from said cells which induce differentiation of embryonic stem cells into a desired cell line into eukaryotic cells;
(h) contacting embryonic stem cells with culture supernatant obtained from the eukaryotic cells of step (g);
(i) obtaining cDNA clones from those cells which induce differentiation of embryonic stem cells into a desired cell line;
(j) transfecting said cDNA clones from step (i) into embryonic stem cells; and
(k) determining at least one cDNA clone which induces differentiation of embryonic stem cells into a desired cell line.
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Specification