Use of human embryonic stem cells for drug screening and toxicity testing
First Claim
1. A method of screening a substance, comprising:
- a) obtaining a composition comprising undifferentiated pPS cells proliferating on an extracellular matrix instead of feeder cells, but in a medium conditioned by fibroblast feeder cells;
b) optionally causing or permitting the pPS cells to differentiate;
thenc) combining the cells with the substance; and
d) determining any effect of the substance on the cells.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure provides an improved system for culturing human pluripotent stem (pPS) cells in the absence of feeder cells. The role of the feeder cells can be replaced by supporting the culture on an extracellular matrix, and culturing the cells in a conditioned medium. Permanent cell lines are provided that can produce conditioned medium on a commercial scale. Methods have also been discovered to genetically alter pPS cells by introducing the cells with a viral vector or DNA/lipid complex. The system described in this disclosure allows for bulk proliferation of pPS cells for use in studying the biology of pPS cell differentiation, and the production of important products for use in human therapy.
43 Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A method of screening a substance, comprising:
-
a) obtaining a composition comprising undifferentiated pPS cells proliferating on an extracellular matrix instead of feeder cells, but in a medium conditioned by fibroblast feeder cells; b) optionally causing or permitting the pPS cells to differentiate;
thenc) combining the cells with the substance; and d) determining any effect of the substance on the cells. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of screening a substance for its effect on undifferentiated human embryonic stem (hES) cells, comprising:
-
a) obtaining a composition comprising undifferentiated pPS cells proliferating on an extracellular matrix instead of feeder cells, but in a medium conditioned by fibroblast feeder cells; b) combining the undifferentiated hES cells with the substance; and c) determining any effect of the substance on the cells. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method of screening a substance, comprising:
-
a) obtaining a composition comprising undifferentiated hES cells proliferating on an extracellular matrix instead of feeder cells, in a medium conditioned by fibroblast feeder cells; b) differentiating said hES cells; c) contacting the population of differentiated cells with the substance; d) determining any phenotypic or metabolic change in the cell that results from contact with the substance, and e) correlating the change with cellular toxicity or modulation. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
Specification