Inventors:
Diane Krause - Hamden CT, US
Neil Theise - New York NY, US
Michael Collector - Baltimore MD, US
Saul Sharkis - Towson MD, US
International Classification:
A61K045/00, C12N005/08
Abstract:
Purification of rare Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSC) to homogeneity is required to study their self-renewal, differentiation, phenotype, survival, and homing. Long-term repopulation (LTR) of irradiated hosts and serial transplantation to secondary hosts are the gold standard for demonstrating self renewal and differentiation, the defining properties of HSC's. We show that selection of rare cells that home rapidly to the bone marrow enriches for individual cells that can LTR primary and secondary recipients. During the procedure, CD34 and SCA-1 expression increases uniquely on cells that home to marrow. These adult bone marrow cells have nearly embryonic differentiation potential as they can also differentiate into epithelial cells of the liver, lung, GI tract, and skin. This finding is of great scientific importance and can be applied to clinical treatment of genetic disease or tissue repair.