Type: Biomedical technology

Categories: Regenerative medicine; stem cells

UGARF Case(s):1643

Title:Efficient Generation of Neural Crest Stem Cells

Manager: Derek Eberhart

Introduction and Applications

The technology is a single-step method for the efficient generation of self-renewing neural crest-like stem cells in chemically defined media.

Current methods for the production of neural crest stem cells are inefficient, time-consuming and costly. Typically, neural crest stem cells are isolated from differentiated cultures of human pluripotent stem cells. This process is inefficient and requires cell sorting to obtain a highly enriched population. The lack of a streamlined, scalable production method severely restricts the utility of these cells as a model for disease and development and for more applied purposes such as cell therapy and tissue engineering.

Technology Description

University of Georgia researchers developed a single-step method for the efficient generation of self-renewing neural crest-like stem cells in chemically defined media. This approach utilizes human pluripotent cells as a starting point without the need for co-culture on feeder layers or cell sorting to obtain a highly enriched population. This cell population can be clonally amplified and maintained for >25 passages (>100 d) while retaining the capacity to differentiate into peripheral neurons, smooth muscle cells, and mesenchymal precursor cells. In summary, this approach allows for the efficient generation of self-renewing neural crest stem cells that greatly enhance their potential utility in disease modeling and regenerative medicine.

Advantages

Originator(s):Stephen Dalton, Ph.D.

References and Intellectual Property

  • Published PCT Application WO2012091978
  • Menendez L, Yatskievych TA, Antin PB, Dalton S: Wnt signaling and a Smad pathway blockade direct the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to multipotent neural crest cells.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Nov 29;108(48):19240-5 (Erratum: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Jun 5;109(23):9220)
  • Menendez L, Kulik MJ, Page AT, Park SS, Lauderdale JD, Cunningham ML, Dalton S: Directed differentiation of human pluripotent cells to neural crest stem cells. Nat Protoc. 2013 Jan;8(1):203-12.
  • Avery J, Dalton S.: Methods for Derivation of Multipotent Neural Crest Cells Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.Methods Mol Biol. 2016;1341:197-208
  • Rivera-Mulia JC, Buckley Q, Sasaki T, Zimmerman J, Didier RA, Nazor K, Loring JF, Lian Z, Weissman S, Robins AJ, Schulz TC, Menendez L, Kulik MJ, Dalton S, Gabr H, Kahveci T, Gilbert DM: Dynamic changes in replication timing and gene expression during lineage specification of human pluripotent stem cells.Genome Res. 2015 Aug;25(8):1091-103

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