Tumor-initiating cells and methods of use
AssigneeCaritas St. Elizabeth Medical Center of Boston, Inc.
InventorLynn Hlatky
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Abstract
Provided herein are an isolated or enriched population of tumor initiating cells derived from normal cells, cells susceptible to neoplasia, or neoplastic cells. Methods of use of the cells for screening for anti-hyperproliferative agents, and use of the cells for animal models of hyperproliferative disorders including metastatic cancer, diagnostic methods, and therapeutic methods are provided.
Claims60
An isolated self-renewing cell selected as the product of a spontaneous cell-cell fusion or a descendant thereof.
A tumor-initiating cell selected as the product of a spontaneous cell-cell fusion or a descendant thereof, wherein said cell gives rise to a neoplasia in vitro or in vivo under suitable growth conditions.
An isolated cell population comprising cells selected as the product of a spontaneous cell-cell fusion or descendants thereof, and cultured under conditions sufficient to promote further fusion, wherein at least one cell of said population is a self-renewing tumor-initiating cell.
A method of generating a tumor-initiating cell, comprising selecting a cell that is the product of a spontaneous cell-cell fusion or a descendant thereof and culturing said cells, thereby generating a tumor-initiating cell population.
A method for identifying an agent that inhibits cell-cell fusion comprising:
- contacting a population of cells cultured under conditions sufficient to induce spontaneous cell-cell fusion with an agent;
- and
- detecting a reduction in cell-cell fusion relative to an untreated control population.
A method of immortalizing a primary cell in culture comprising:
- selecting a cell as having undergone spontaneous cell-cell fusion in a primary cell culture;
- and
- culturing the selected cell under conditions that promote further cell-cell fusions, thereby generating an immortalized cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.