Combined Regulation of Neural Cell Production

• US 20090274668A1
• Filed: 07/16/2009
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stem Cell Therapeutics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stem Cell Therapeutics Inc.
• Inventors: Shingo, Tetsuro, Weiss, Samuel, Thompson, Bradley G.
• Application Number:
  US12/504,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20090274668A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/93.700
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2300/00 Mixtures or combinations of active ingredients, wherein at least one active ingredient is fully defined in groups A61K31/00 - A61K41/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 35/12 Materials from mammals; Compositions comprising non-specified tissues or cells; Compositions comprising non-embryonic stem cells; Genetically modified cells vaccines or medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies A61K39/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/2257 Prolactin
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/27 Growth hormone [GH], i.e. somatotropin
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/30 Insulin-like growth factors, i.e. somatomedins, e.g. IGF-1, IGF-2 insulin-like growth factor binding protein A61K38/1754
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 21/00 Drugs for disorders of the muscular or neuromuscular system
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 21/02 Muscle relaxants, e.g. for tetanus or cramps
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/00 Drugs for disorders of the nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/08 Antiepileptics; Anticonvulsants
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/14 for treating abnormal movements, e.g. chorea, dyskinesia
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/16 Anti-Parkinson drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/18 Antipsychotics, i.e. neuroleptics; Drugs for mania or schizophrenia
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/28 for treating neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous system, e.g. nootropic agents, cognition enhancers, drugs for treating Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 5/0623 Stem cells

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A method for producing neuronal precursor cells or glial precursor cells, comprising:

(a) providing at least one neural stem cell;

(b) contacting the neural stem cell with a factor selected from the group consisting of prolactin, growth hormone, estrogen, ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα

) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in an amount sufficient to increase the number of neural stem cells; and

(c) contacting the neural stem cells from step (b) to a factor selected from the group consisting of erythropoietin (EPO), pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP), prolactin, serotonin, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and cAMP in an amount sufficient to enhance the production of neuronal precursor cells or glial precursor cells from the neural stem cells;

with the proviso that when the factor in step (b) is EGF or FGF, the factor in step (c) is PACAP or prolactin.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) is performed prior to step (c).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed concurrently.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the neural stem cell is not an embryonic cell.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the neural stem cell is an adult neural stem cell.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the neural stem cell is located in a mammal.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the neural stem cell is provided by transplanting neural stem cells into the mammal.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the transplanted neural stem cells have been expanded in culture prior to being transplanted into the mammal.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the transplanted neural stem cells are syngeneic with the mammal.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the neural stem cell is located in the subventricular zone of the forebrain of the mammal.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the mammal is suffering from or suspected of having a neurodegenerative disease or condition.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease or condition is brain injury.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the brain injury is a stroke.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the disease or condition is selected from the group consisting of Alzheimer'"'"'s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), Huntington'"'"'s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson'"'"'s disease.