Assay utilizing multipotent adult stem cells
View Patent ↗The present invention relates generally to mammalian multipotent adult stem cells (MASC), and more specifically to methods for obtaining, maintaining and differentiating MASC to cells of multiple tissue types. Uses of MASC in the therapeutic treatment of disease are also provided.
1. A method for identifying an agent that is a differentiation factor, the method comprising:
(a) contacting (1) a desired agent with (2) isolated expanded human multipotent, non-embryonic, non-germ, cells that can differentiate into at least one cell type of each of the endodermal, ectodermal and mesodermal embryonic lineages and express telomerase; and
(b) determining whether the agent of step (a) affects differentiation of the telomerase-expressing cells into a desired differentiated progeny, where affecting differentiation indicates an agent that is a differentiation factor, wherein the telomerase-expressing cells have undergone at least 10-40 cell doublings in culture.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the telomerase-expressing cells express oct3/4.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein differentiation is into an endodermal cell type.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein differentiation is into a mesodermal cell type.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein differentiation is into an ectodermal cell type.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the telomerase-expressing cells have undergone greater than 40 cell doublings.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effect on differentiation is assayed by changes in protein expression, RNA expression, or morphology.