Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Animal cell – per se ; composition thereof; process of... – Method of regulating cell metabolism or physiology
Reexamination Certificate
2008-07-15
2011-12-06
Ketter, Jim (Department: 1636)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Animal cell, per se ; composition thereof; process of...
Method of regulating cell metabolism or physiology
C435S372000
Reexamination Certificate
active
08071377
ABSTRACT:
The present invention provides methods for immortalizing precursor cells that are non-terminally differentiated cells such as stem cells, said methods comprising culturing the precursor cells in the presence of a Notch agonist and one or more growth factors that support the proliferation but not differentiation of the non-terminally differentiated cells. The present invention further provides methods to induce the differentiation of immortalized cells, comprising growing the cells in the presence of a Notch agonist and at least one growth factor which supports the differentiation of the cell into a more specialized cell type. The immortalized and/or differentiated cells of the invention can be used to repopulate cell populations that have been diminished, for example as a result of infection or exposure to certain drugs. The invention further provides a cell culture comprising a population of non-terminally differentiated cells immortalized by the methods of the present invention and kits comprising reagents that promote the immortalization of precursor cells. The invention further provides methods for screening for Notch modulators and for identifying genes involved in processes of cellular differentiation.
REFERENCES:
Rizzino, Developmental Dynamics, vol. 236, pp. 3199-3207 (2007).
Grafi, Trends in Biotechnology vol. 27, pp. 329-332 (2009).
Bernstein Irwin D.
Varnum-Finney Barbara
Christensen O'Connor Johnson & Kindness PLLC
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Ketter Jim
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