Methods of differentiating and protecting cells by modulating the P38/MEF2 pathway
First Claim
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1. A method of differentiating progenitor cells in vitro to produce a cell population containing neuronal cells protected from apoptotic cell death, comprising the steps of:
- (a) contacting in vitro said progenitor cells with a differentiating agent; and
(b) introducing in vitro into said progenitor cells a nucleic acid molecule encoding a constitutively active MEF2 polypeptide or an active fragment thereof, wherein said constitutively active MEF2 polypeptide or active fragment thereof has transactivation activity that is independent of phosphorylation,thereby differentiating said progenitor cells in vitro to produce a cell population containing neuronal cells protected from apoptotic cell death.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method of differentiating progenitor cells to produce a population containing protected neuronal cells. A method of the invention includes the steps of contacting the progenitor cells with a differentiating agent; and introducing into the progenitor cells a nucleic acid molecule encoding a MEF2 polypeptide or an active fragment thereof, thereby differentiating the progenitor cells to produce a population containing protected neuronal cells. In one embodiment, the MEF2 polypeptide is human MEF2C or an active fragment thereof.
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20 Claims
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1. A method of differentiating progenitor cells in vitro to produce a cell population containing neuronal cells protected from apoptotic cell death, comprising the steps of:
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(a) contacting in vitro said progenitor cells with a differentiating agent; and (b) introducing in vitro into said progenitor cells a nucleic acid molecule encoding a constitutively active MEF2 polypeptide or an active fragment thereof, wherein said constitutively active MEF2 polypeptide or active fragment thereof has transactivation activity that is independent of phosphorylation, thereby differentiating said progenitor cells in vitro to produce a cell population containing neuronal cells protected from apoptotic cell death. - 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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