Spore-like cells and uses thereof

• US 7,575,921 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VCellTherapeutics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vbi Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Vacanti, Martin P., Vacanti, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crouch; Deborah
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOBLE, MARCIA STEPHENS
• Application Number:
  US10/462,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20040057942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 435/325
• 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: C12N 5/0602 Vertebrate cells

Abstract

Highly undifferentiated spore-like cells can be isolated from many different tissues and bodily fluids and used to treat a wide variety of disorders.

Claims

1. An isolated mammalian spore-like cell population, comprising cells that

are multipotent;

are approximately one to seven microns in diameter;

are viable following oxygen-deprivation in a deceased mammal for a period of twenty four hours; and

have an outer membrane containing one or more dark stripes when viewed by transmission electron microscopy.

2. The spore-like cell population of claim 1, wherein the cells are isolated from the blood of a post-natal mammal by size-exclusion.

3. The spore-like cell population of claim 1, wherein the cells are isolated from the heart, intestine, bladder, kidney, liver, lung, adrenal gland, skin, retina, or pancreas of a post-natal mammal by size-exclusion.

4. The spore-like cell population of claim 1, wherein the cells are isolated from a deceased mammal.

5. The spore-like cell population of claim 1, wherein the cells are approximately one to three microns in diameter.

6. The spore-like cell population of claim 1, wherein the cells are approximately one micron in diameter.

7. The spore-like cell population of claim 1, wherein at least about half the volume of the cells comprises nucleic acids.

8. The spore-like cell population of claim 1, comprising cells that do not express nestin.