Melissa Adair Carpenter

US Patent:

6458589, Oct 1, 2002

Filed:

Nov 20, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/718308

Inventors:

Lakshmi Rambhatla - Redwood City CA
Melissa K. Carpenter - Castro Valley CA

Assignee:

Geron Corporation - Menlo Park CA

International Classification:

C12N 508

US Classification:

435370, 435366, 435377, 435405

Abstract:

It has been discovered that when pluripotent stem cells are cultured in the presence of a hepatocyte differentiation agent, a population of cells is derived that has a remarkably high proportion of cells with phenotypic characteristics of liver cells. In one example, human embryonic stem cells are allowed to form embryoid bodies, and then combined with the differentiation agent n-butyrate, optionally supplemented with maturation factors. In another example, n-butyrate is added to human embryonic stem cells in feeder-free culture. Either way, a remarkably uniform cell population is obtained, which is predominated by cells with morphological features of hepatocytes, expressing surface markers characteristic of hepatocytes, and having enzymatic and biosynthetic activity important for liver function. Since stem cells readily proliferate in culture, this system provides an abundant source of cells of the hepatocyte lineage for a variety of applications, such as drug screening, and replenishing liver function in the context of clinical treatment.

US Patent:

6498018, Dec 24, 2002

Filed:

Oct 16, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/486302

Inventors:

Melissa Carpenter - Foster City CA

Assignee:

Cytotherapeutics, Inc. - Lincoln RI

International Classification:

C12Q 102

US Classification:

435 29, 435368

Abstract:

The invention provides a method for determining the effect of a biological agent comprising contacting a cell culture with a biological agent. The cell culture of the invention contains a culture medium containing one or more preselected growth factors effective for inducing multipotent central nervous system (CNS) neural stem cell proliferation. The cell culture also contains, suspended in the culture medium, human multipotent CNS neural stem cells that are derived from primary CNS neural tissue that have a doubling rate faster than 30 days.

US Patent:

6506574, Jan 14, 2003

Filed:

May 31, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/872182

Inventors:

Lakshmi Rambhatla - Redwood City CA
Melissa K. Carpenter - Castro Valley CA

Assignee:

Geron Corporation - Menlo Park CA

International Classification:

C12Q 142

US Classification:

435 21, 435 15, 435 23, 435 24, 435 29, 435363, 435366

Abstract:

It has been discovered that when pluripotent stem cells are cultured in the presence of a hepatocyte differentiation agent, a population of cells is derived that has a remarkably high proportion of cells with phenotypic characteristics of liver cells. In one example, human embryonic stem cells are allowed to form embryoid bodies, and then combined with the differentiation agent n-butyrate, optionally supplemented with maturation factors. In another example, n-butyrate is added to human embryonic stem cells in feeder-free culture. Either way, a remarkably uniform cell population is obtained, which is predominated by cells with morphological features of hepatocytes, expressing surface markers characteristic of hepatocytes, and having enzymatic and biosynthetic activity important for liver function. Since stem cells readily proliferate in culture, this system provides an abundant source of cells of the hepatocyte lineage for a variety of applications, such as drug screening, and replenishing liver function in the context of clinical treatment.

US Patent:

6667176, Dec 23, 2003

Filed:

Oct 10, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/688031

Inventors:

Walter D. Funk - Hayward CA
Melissa K. Carpenter - Foster City CA
Joseph D. Gold - San Francisco CA
Margaret S. Inokuma - San Jose CA
Chunhui Xu - Cupertino CA

Assignee:

Geron Corporation - Menlo Park CA

International Classification:

C12N 506

US Classification:

435363, 435366, 435377, 4353201, 536 231

Abstract:

This disclosure provides a system for obtaining expression libraries from primate pluripotent stem (pPS) cells. pPS cells can be maintained in vitro without requiring a layer of feeder cells to inhibit differentiation. The role of the feeder cells is replaced by several other culture conditions provided in a suitable combination. Conditions that promote pPS cell growth without differentiation include supporting the culture on an extracellular matrix, and culturing the cells in a medium conditioned by another cell type. The cDNA libraries from such cultures are devoid of transcripts of feeder cell origin, relatively uncontaminated by transcripts from differentiated cells, and can have a high proportion of full-length transcripts. Subtraction libraries can also be produced that are enriched for transcripts modulated during differentiation.

US Patent:

6777233, Aug 17, 2004

Filed:

Apr 29, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/134234

Inventors:

Melissa Carpenter - Foster City CA

Assignee:

StemCells California, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

C12N 508

US Classification:

435368, 435377

Abstract:

The invention provides a method for determining the effect of a biological agent comprising contacting a cell culture with a biological agent. The cell culture of the invention contains a culture medium containing one or more preselected growth factors effective for inducing multipotent central nervous system (CNS) neural stem cell proliferation. The cell culture also contains, suspended in the culture medium, human multipotent CNS neural stem cells that are derived from primary CNS neural tissue that have a doubling rate faster than 30 days.

US Patent:

6833269, Dec 21, 2004

Filed:

May 31, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/872183

Inventors:

Melissa K. Carpenter - Castro Valley CA

Assignee:

Geron Corporation - Menlo Park CA

International Classification:

C12N 500

US Classification:

435377, 435325, 435366, 435368

Abstract:

This invention provides populations of neural progenitor cells, differentiated neurons, glial cells, and astrocytes. The populations are obtained by culturing stem cell populations (such as embryonic stem cells) in a cocktail of growth conditions that initiates differentiation, and establishes the neural progenitor population. The progenitors can be further differentiated in culture into a variety of different neural phenotypes, including dopaminergic neurons. The differentiated cell populations or the neural progenitors can be generated in large quantities for use in drug screening and the treatment of neurological disorders.

US Patent:

7250294, Jul 31, 2007

Filed:

May 28, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/157288

Inventors:

Melissa K. Carpenter - Castro Valley CA, US
Jerrod J. Denham - San Francisco CA, US
Margaret S. Inokuma - San Jose CA, US
R. Scott Thies - Pleasanton CA, US

Assignee:

Geron Corporation - Menlo Park CA

International Classification:

C12N 5/00
C12N 5/02

US Classification:

435377

Abstract:

This invention provides populations of neural progenitor cells and differentiated neurons, obtained by culturing pluripotent cells in special growth cocktails. The technology can be used to produce progenitors that proliferate through at least 40 doublings, while maintaining the ability to differentiate into a variety of different neural phenotypes, including dopaminergic neurons. The neural progenitors and terminally differentiated neurons of this invention can be generated in large quantities for use in drug screening and the treatment of neurological disorders.

US Patent:

7256042, Aug 14, 2007

Filed:

Oct 31, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/001267

Inventors:

Lakshmi Rambhatla - Redwood City CA, US
Melissa K. Carpenter - Castro Valley CA, US

Assignee:

Geron Corporation - Menlo Park CA

International Classification:

C12N 5/00
C12N 5/08
C12N 5/02

US Classification:

435377, 435366, 435370

Abstract:

It has been discovered that when pluripotent stem cells are cultured in the presence of a hepatocyte differentiation agent, a population of cells is derived that has a remarkably high proportion of cells with phenotypic characteristics of liver cells. In one example, human embryonic stem cells are allowed to form embryoid bodies, and then combined with the differentiation agent n-butyrate, optionally supplemented with maturation factors. In another example, n-butyrate is added to human embryonic stem cells in feeder-free culture. Either way, a remarkably uniform cell population is obtained, which is predominated by cells with morphological features of hepatocytes, expressing surface markers characteristic of hepatocytes, and having enzymatic and biosynthetic activity important for liver function. Since stem cells readily proliferate in culture, this system provides an abundant source of cells of the hepatocyte lineage for a variety of applications, such as drug screening, and replenishing liver function in the context of clinical treatment.