Bone marrow cells as a source of neurons for brain and spinal cord repair

US6528245B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• University of South Florida · US

Inventors

• Juan Sanchez-Ramos · Lakeland, US
• Shijie Song · Shanghai, CN
• William Janssen · San Mateo, US
• Paul R. Sanberg · Spring Hill, US
• Thomas B. Freeman · Tampa, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 7, 1999
• Grant date: Mar 4, 2003
• Expiry date: May 7, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C12N2506/1353
• WIPO field: Pharmaceuticals
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) differentiate into neuron-like phenotypes in vitro and in vivo, engrafted into normal or denervated rat striatum. The BMSC did not remain localized to the site of the graft, but migrated throughout the brain and integrated into specific brain regions in various architectonic patterns. The most orderly integration of BMSC was in the laminar distribution of cerebellar Purkinje cells, where the BMSC-derived cells took on the Purkinje phenotype. The BMSC exhibited site-dependent differentiation and expressed several neuronal markers including neuron-specific nuclear protein, tyrosine hydroxylase and calbindin. BMSC can be used to target specific brain nuclei in strategies of neural repair and gene therapy.