Stem cell potency
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Biochemistry
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
Recent reports suggest that under certain conditions adult mammalian stem cells may be able to escape lineage restriction and exhibit broad differentiation capacity. If these findings can be reproduced, understood and controlled, the implications for future healthcare strategies are considerable. However, this is a very new area of research that challenges previous orthodoxies and raises basic questions about mechanisms of cell determination and genomic programming. In this proposal we aim to determine the true incidence and nature of stem cell plasticity, to achieve a molecular definition of the stem cell state, and to examine whether the developmental potency of stem cells translates into a propensity for reprogramming by nuclear transfer.
Organisations
Publications
Chambers I
(2007)
Nanog safeguards pluripotency and mediates germline development.
in Nature
Glaser T
(2007)
Tripotential differentiation of adherently expandable neural stem (NS) cells.
in PloS one
Johnson CE
(2007)
Essential alterations of heparan sulfate during the differentiation of embryonic stem cells to Sox1-enhanced green fluorescent protein-expressing neural progenitor cells.
in Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio)
Kawaguchi J
(2010)
Isolation and propagation of enteric neural crest progenitor cells from mouse embryonic stem cells and embryos.
in Development (Cambridge, England)
Sun Y
(2008)
Long-term tripotent differentiation capacity of human neural stem (NS) cells in adherent culture.
in Molecular and cellular neurosciences
Ying QL
(2008)
The ground state of embryonic stem cell self-renewal.
in Nature
| Description | Signals and genes that control stem cells |
| Exploitation Route | Basic and biomedical research |
| Sectors | Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | BBSRC Stem Cell Potency |
| Amount | £841,267 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2006 |
| End | 02/2008 |
| Title | CULTURE MEDIUM CONTAINING KINASE INHIBITORS. AND USES THEREOF |
| Description | Pluripotent cells are maintained in a self-renewing state in serum-free culture medium comprising a MEK inhibitor, a GSK3 inhibitor and, optionally, an antagonist of an FGF receptor. Pluripotent cells are also maintained in a self-renewing state in serum-free culture medium comprising a MEK inhibitor and an antagonist of an FGF receptor. |
| IP Reference | WO2007113505 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2007 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | N/A |
| Title | DIRECTED NEURAL DIFFERENTIATION |
| Description | Differentiation towards a neural fate, and away from a non-neural fate, is promoted by activation of Notch signalling in ES cells and then transferring the cells into neural differentiation protocols. Media for neural differentiation comprises a Notch activator, e.g. a notch ligand that can be clustered. Genetic manipulation is used as an alternative to media additives for Notch activation. |
| IP Reference | WO2006095175 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2006 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | N/A |
| Title | IMPROVED REPROGRAMMING OF MAMMALIAN CELLS, AND THE CELLS OBTAINED |
| Description | Expression of reprogramming factors such as Sox2, klf4, c-myc, Nanog, LIN28 and Oct4 followed by culture in a MEK inhibitor and a GSK3 inhibitor reprograms tissue cells. The invention provides new uses of these inhibitors, for example in inducing completion of the transcriptional resetting of so-called pre-pluripotent (pre-iPS) stem cells, for example as obtained from mammalian neural stem cells or epiblast stem cells treated with single or combinations of the reprogramming factors, expressed transiently or by integrative vectors. Also provided are systems for reprogramming an epiplast stem cells independently of the use of there inhibitors. |
| IP Reference | WO2009101407 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2009 |
| Licensed | Yes |
| Impact | N/A |
| Title | PLURIPOTENCY DETERMINING FACTORS AND USES THEREOF |
| Description | Pluripotency determining factors are described which act intracellularly and maintain a pluripotent cell in a pluripotent state in the absence of gp130 activation, which maintain or confer pluripotency of a human stem cell, which maintain or confer pluripotency of a mouse ES cell, and which maintain or confer pluripotency of a stem cell from a non-permissive strain of mice. The factors and vectors encoding or activating the factors are used to maintain and derive pluripotent cells, especially of higher mammals, including humans. |
| IP Reference | WO03064463 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2003 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | n.a |
| Title | REPROGRAMMING AND GENETIC MODIFICATION OF CELLS |
| Description | Methods for reprogramming and optional genetic modification of cells are provided. A pluripotent genome is obtained from a differentiated genome by fusing a pluripotent cell with a differentiated cell in the presence of Nanog or a MEK inhibitor. A cell is genetically modified by providing first and second cells, each containing chromosomes, fusing the first cell and the second cell, and culturing the fused cell so as to obtain a diploid cell containing at least one chromosome from the first cell and at least one chromosome form the second cell. A method of cell fusion comprises fusing a first cell and a second cell in the presence of Nanog or a MEK inhibitor. Cells obtained thereby and their uses are also described. |
| IP Reference | WO2007054720 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2007 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | N/A |
| Description | 25 Years of Embryonic Stem Cells in Cambridge |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | Discussion post event |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006 |
| Description | International Summer School, Cambridge |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | University of Cambridge International Summer School, Guest Lecturer N/A |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006 |
| Description | International Summer School, Cambridge |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | University of Cambridge International Summer School, Guest Lecturer N/A |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |
| Description | International Summer School, Cambridge |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | University of Cambridge International Summer School, Guest Lecturer N/A |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2007 |
| Description | Stem Cell Dream Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Platform Speaker in the Stem Cell Dream, public event n.a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2007 |
| Description | Stem Cell Dream Event 2008 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Speaker at the Stem Cell dream event - this resulted in discussion afterwards |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |