US 10,920,194 B2 · Functional myelination of neurons

Abstract

Hair follicle bulge region/LLP region CD34(+) MeSCs can be isolated from mammalian skin bearing hair follicles. These cells are multipotent and retain the ability to differentiate into cells of neural crest lineage, including glia-like cells that express the glial marker Gfap, and are able to express myelin basic protein, and to remyelinate naked (unmyelinated or demyelinated) neuronal processes with a functional, dense myelin sheath. These cells of neural crest lineage can be used to produce a dense myelin sheath on neurons which lack myelin due to genetic defect, trauma, toxin, infection, or disease process. Therefore, embodiments of the invention provide methods for preparing such cells, the cells themselves and compositions containing the cells, as well as methods for using the cells.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A method of producing a functional myelin sheath on one or more neurites of neurons that lack a functional myelin sheath, comprising contacting the neurons with isolated myelin-depositing cells which:

(a) are CD34(+) melanocyte stem cells from the bulge region, the lower permanent portion, or both, of the hair follicle of a mammal that have been exposed to neural crest differentiation medium also containing 10 μM ascorbic acid;
(b) have no visible pigmentation;
(c) express glial fibrillary acid protein, and Tuj1 (β3-tubulin);
and
(d) express myelin basic protein and produce a functional multilayered myelin sheath surrounding the neurites of unmyelinated neurons when contacted with the unmyelinated neurites,
wherein contacting is achieved by co-culturing the CD34(+) multipotent neural crest progenitor cells and neurons that lack a functional myelin sheath together in poly-D-lysine and laminin-coated vessels in neural crest differentiation medium including 10 μM ascorbic acid.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Functional myelination of neurons

Life of this patent

Functional myelination of neurons

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7