Immortalization of epithelial cells and methods of use
First Claim
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1. A method for continuously culturing non-keratinocyte epithelial cells, comprising:
- (a) culturing non-keratinocyte epithelial (NKE) cells isolated from tissue of a mammal, or cells derived therefrom, in the presence of feeder cells or a medium conditioned with feeder cells; and
a calcium-containing medium; and
(b) inhibiting the activity of Rho kinase (ROCK) in the feeder cells, the NKE cells or both during the culturing, thereby generating a cell culture comprising a population of NKE cells, wherein;
the cell culture does not include embryonic stem cells,the population of the NKE cells in the cell culture is capable of 60 or more population doublings, andthe NKE cells isolated from tissue of a mammal, or cells derived therefrom, not exposed to (a) and (b) are not capable of 60 population doublings.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed towards methods of culturing non-keratinocyte epithelial cells, with the methods comprising culturing non-keratinocyte epithelial cells in the presence of feeder cells and a calcium-containing medium while inhibiting the activity of Rho kinase (ROCK) in the feeder cell, the non-keratinocyte epithelial cells or both during culturing.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for continuously culturing non-keratinocyte epithelial cells, comprising:
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(a) culturing non-keratinocyte epithelial (NKE) cells isolated from tissue of a mammal, or cells derived therefrom, in the presence of feeder cells or a medium conditioned with feeder cells; and
a calcium-containing medium; and(b) inhibiting the activity of Rho kinase (ROCK) in the feeder cells, the NKE cells or both during the culturing, thereby generating a cell culture comprising a population of NKE cells, wherein; the cell culture does not include embryonic stem cells, the population of the NKE cells in the cell culture is capable of 60 or more population doublings, and the NKE cells isolated from tissue of a mammal, or cells derived therefrom, not exposed to (a) and (b) are not capable of 60 population doublings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification