Scalable Process for Cultivating Undifferentiated Stem Cells in Suspension

• US 20070264713A1
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universitã¤T Bonn
• Original Assignee: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universitã¤T Bonn
• Inventors: Terstegge, Stefanie, Brustle, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 7,790,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/383
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2500/44 Thiols, e.g. mercaptoethanol
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2501/115 Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF-2)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2501/15 Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2501/235 Leukemia inhibitory factor [LIF]
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2501/26 Flt-3 ligand (CD135L, flk-2 ligand)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2502/1323 Adult fibroblasts
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2531/00 Microcarriers
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2533/54 Collagen; Gelatin
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2533/70 Polysaccharides
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 5/0606 Pluripotent embryonic cells, e.g. embryonic stem cells [ES] embryonic germ cells C12N5/0611, induced pluripotent stem cells C12N5/0696

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for cultivating undifferentiated stem cells in suspension and in particular to a method for cultivating stem cells on microcarriers in vessels. The method enables stem cells to be cultivated in a scalable process for the first time, without losing their pluripotentiality. Different types of vessels are suitable for cultivation, such as e.g. spinners and bioreactors. The option of precisely setting the cultivation conditions in said vessels aids the process of obtaining a pluripotentiality of the stem cells. the inventive method also permits large yields of stem cells of an unvarying quality to be produced.

Claims

1-80. -80. (canceled)

81. A method for proliferating stem cells, comprising:

introducing medium, microcarriers and stem cells into a container,

cultivating the stem cells on microcarriers in said container, wherein the cells do not lose their stem cell characteristics after having initiated the culturing, and

removing the cells on the microcarriers from the container.

117. A method for propagating stem cells comprising:

introducing medium, microcarriers and stem cells into a container,

cultivating stem cells on microcarriers in said container, wherein the cells do not lose their stem cell characteristics after the start of the culturing, and

initiating the differentiation of said cells in this container.