Microcarriers for stem cell culture
First Claim
1. A method for achieving stable, long-term culture and expansion of human embryonic stem cells, or human induced pluripotent stem cells, in suspension in vitro, the method comprising:
- (i) attaching human embryonic stem cells or human induced pluripotent stem cells to a plurality of microcarriers to form microcarrier-stem cell complexes, wherein the surface of the microcarriers is coated in a matrix comprising an extracellular matrix component;
(ii) culturing the microcarrier-stem cell complexes in suspension culture;
(iii) passaging the cultured cells from (ii); and
(iv) repeating steps (i)-(iii) through at least 7 passages,wherein stem cells in the culture after step (iv) are pluripotent, thus achieving stable, long-term culture and expansion of human embryonic stem cells or human induced pluripotent stem cells in suspension in vitro, wherein the achievement of stable, long-term culture is characterized by 50% or more of the stem cells in the culture after step (iv) having the ability to differentiate into endoderm, ectoderm, and mesoderm and retaining at least one stem cell characteristic selected from the group consisting of expression of a pluripotency marker, cell viability, and normal karyotype, and wherein the achievement of expansion is characterized by the number of cultured, expanded cells at the end of step (ii) being at least 0.2 order of magnitude greater than the number of cells attached to the microcarriers in step (i).
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Abstract
We disclose a particle comprising a matrix coated thereon and having a positive charge, the particle being of a size to allow aggregation of primate or human stem cells attached thereto. The particle may comprise a substantially elongate, cylindrical or rod shaped particle having a longest dimension of between 50 μm and 400 μm, such as about 200 μm. It may have a cross sectional dimension of between 20 μm and 30 μm. The particle may comprise a substantially compact or spherical shaped particle having a size of between about 20 μm and about 120 μm, for example about 65 μm. We also disclose a method of propagating primate or human stem cells, the method comprising: providing first and second primate or human stem cells attached to first and second respective particles, allowing the first primate or human stem cell to contact the second primate or human stem cell to form an aggregate of cells and culturing the aggregate to propagate the primate or human stem cells for at least one passage. A method of propagating human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in long term suspension culture using microcarriers coated in Matrigel or hyaluronic acid is also disclosed. We also disclose a method for differentiating stem cells.
37 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for achieving stable, long-term culture and expansion of human embryonic stem cells, or human induced pluripotent stem cells, in suspension in vitro, the method comprising:
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(i) attaching human embryonic stem cells or human induced pluripotent stem cells to a plurality of microcarriers to form microcarrier-stem cell complexes, wherein the surface of the microcarriers is coated in a matrix comprising an extracellular matrix component; (ii) culturing the microcarrier-stem cell complexes in suspension culture; (iii) passaging the cultured cells from (ii); and (iv) repeating steps (i)-(iii) through at least 7 passages, wherein stem cells in the culture after step (iv) are pluripotent, thus achieving stable, long-term culture and expansion of human embryonic stem cells or human induced pluripotent stem cells in suspension in vitro, wherein the achievement of stable, long-term culture is characterized by 50% or more of the stem cells in the culture after step (iv) having the ability to differentiate into endoderm, ectoderm, and mesoderm and retaining at least one stem cell characteristic selected from the group consisting of expression of a pluripotency marker, cell viability, and normal karyotype, and wherein the achievement of expansion is characterized by the number of cultured, expanded cells at the end of step (ii) being at least 0.2 order of magnitude greater than the number of cells attached to the microcarriers in step (i). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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18. A method of culturing and differentiating human embryonic stem cells, or human induced pluripotent stem cells, in vitro, the method comprising:
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(i) attaching human embryonic stem cells or human induced pluripotent stem cells to a plurality of first microcarriers to form microcarrier-stem cell complexes, wherein the surface of the first microcarriers is coated in a first matrix comprising an extracellular matrix component; (ii) culturing the microcarrier-stem cell complexes in suspension culture; (iii) passaging the cultured cells from (ii); and (iv) repeating steps (i)-(iii) through at least 7 passages, wherein stem cells in the culture after step (iv) are pluripotent, the method further comprising; (v) attaching pluripotent stem cells obtained after step (iv) to a plurality of second microcarriers to form microcarrier-stem cell complexes, wherein the surface of the second microcarriers is coated in a matrix or is uncoated; and (vi) culturing the microcarrier-stem cell complexes from (v) in suspension culture under conditions that induce the differentiation of the stem cells. - View Dependent Claims (19, 26)
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Specification