Modalities for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the retina
AssigneeAstellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine
InventorsIrina V. Klimanskaya, Robert P. Lanza
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Abstract
This invention relates to methods for improved cell-based therapies for retinal degeneration and for differentiating human embryonic stem cells and human embryo-derived into retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and other retinal progenitor cells.
Claims18
A method of treating or preventing retinal degeneration, comprising use of a cell selected from the group consisting of at least one of:
- RPE cells, RPE-like cells, RPE or RPE-like progenitors derived from mammalian embryonic stem cells.
A method for the spontaneous differentiation of hES cells into cells RPE, RPE-like, or RPE progenitor cells, said method comprising:
- a) allowing hES cell cultures to overgrow on MEF;
- b) allowing the hES cell cultures to form a thick multilayer of cells;
- c) culturing the hES cells;
- d) isolation and culture of the pigmented RPE, RPE-like, and/or RPE progenitor cells from the resultant cell cultures.
A method for the derivation of RPE lines or precursors to RPE cells that have an increased ability to prevent neovascularization, said method comprising:
- a) aging a somatic cell from an animal such that telomerase is shortened wherein at least 10% of the normal replicative lifespan of the cell has been passed;
- and,
- b) using the somatic cell as a nuclear transfer donor cell to create cells that overexpress angiogenesis inhibitors, wherein the angiogenesis inhibitors can be Pigment Epithelium Derived Factor (PEDF/EPC-1).
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.