Spore-like cells and uses thereof
View Patent ↗Highly undifferentiated spore-like cells can be isolated from many different tissues and bodily fluids and used to treat a wide variety of disorders.
1. A cluster of spore-like cells, comprising spore-like cells that are multipotent; are approximately one-tenth to seven microns in diameter; are viable following oxygen-deprivation for a period of twenty four hours and have an outer membrane containing one or more dark stripes when viewed by transmission electron microscopy, wherein the cluster of spore-like cells is produced by culturing isolated spore-like cells.
2. The cluster of spore-like cells of claim 1 , wherein the cells are isolated from post-natal animal tissue selected from the group consisting of ectodermal, mesodermal, and endodermal tissues.
3. The cluster of spore-like cells of claim 2 , wherein the post-natal animal tissue is selected from the group consisting of mammalian, avian, reptilian, and amphibian tissues.
4. The cluster of spore-like cells of claim 3 , wherein the tissue is selected from the group consisting of heart, intestine, bladder, kidney, liver, lung, adrenal gland, skin, retina, and pancreas.
5. The cluster of spore-like cells of claim 2 , wherein the tissue is blood.
6. The cluster of spore-like cells of claim 1 , wherein the cells are isolated from a deceased animal.
7. The cluster of spore-like cells of claim 1 , wherein the cells are approximately one to seven microns in diameter.
8. The cluster of spore-like cells of claim 1 , wherein the cells are approximately one to three microns in diameter.
9. The cluster of spore-like cells of claim 1 , wherein at least about half the volume of the cells comprises nucleic acids.
10. The cluster of spore-like cells of claim 1 , comprising cells that do not express nestin.
11. The cluster of spore-like cells of claim 1 , wherein the cells are between one-tenth and one micron in diameter.
12. The cluster of spore-like cells of claim 11 , wherein the cells are approximately one tenth to one third of a micron in diameter.
13. An aggregate of a population of isolated spore-like cells comprising spore-like cells that
are multipotent;
are less than 1 micron in diameter;
are viable following oxygen-deprivation for a period of twenty four hours, and
have an outer membrane containing one or more dark stripes when viewed by transmission electron microscopy, wherein the aggregate of spore-like cells is produced by culturing isolated spore-like cells.
14. The aggregate of claim 13 , wherein the spore-like cells are approximately one tenth to one third of a micron in diameter.
15. The aggregate of claim 13 , wherein the spore-like cells are isolated from post-natal animal tissue selected from the group consisting of ectodermal, mesodermal, and endodermal tissues.
16. The aggregate of claim 15 , wherein the post-natal animal tissue is selected from the group consisting of mammalian, avian, reptilian, and amphibian tissues.
17. The aggregate of claim 16 , wherein the tissue is selected from heart, intestine, bladder, kidney, liver, lung, adrenal gland, skin, retina, and pancreas.
18. The aggregate of claim 15 , wherein the tissue is blood.
19. The aggregate of claim 15 , wherein the cells are isolated from a deceased animal.
20. The aggregate of claim 13 , wherein at least about half of the volume of the spore-like cells comprises nucleic acids.