Functional prediction of cellular functions by means of microrna expression profiling in mesenchymal stem cells

A use as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the pre-determined purpose is selected from a bioprocess applications, a cell therapy application, patient stratification for cell therapy, cell growth and donor selection.

A use as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cellular functional effect is an effect on an applied cell population by a tissue to which it is applied, an effect on a tissue to which a cell population is applied, production of paracrine factors, proliferation activity, differentiation tendency, engraftment potential, immunosuppressive activity, migration potential, response to activity inducing agents or response to assays.

A use as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is further for making a selection or treatment decision based upon the identification, determination or inference of propensity for the cellular functional effect.

A method of inferring propensity of a cell population for a cellular functional effect for a pre-determined purpose, the method comprising assaying the cell population against a pre-determined non-coding RNA or panel of non-coding RNAs known or determined to correlate with the cellular functional effect, generating non-coding RNA expression data for the assayed non-coding RNA or panel of non-coding RNAs and from the non-coding RNA expression data identifying, determining or inferring a propensity for the cellular functional effect, wherein the cellular functional effect is a functional effect of a cell population which effect is temporally, procedurally or interventionally separated from the cell population from which the expression data or expression profiles derive.

A use or method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which is for inferring a cellular functional effect in a cell population using the non-coding RNA expression data from that cell population for a predetermined non-coding RNA or panel of non-coding RNAs, wherein the cell population are human cells.

A method for screening populations of donor-derived cells (e.g. stem cells such as MSCs) for use in treatment of an indication or condition or for further manipulation for later treatment of an indication or conditions, the method comprising inferring a cellular function effect pertinent to the treatment of the indication or the further manipulation and in dependence of that inference, selecting populations of donor-derived cells (or selecting donors for further donation of cells) for use in the treatment of the indication or the further manipulation.

A method for determining the dose of a population of cells (e.g stem cells, such as MSCs or T-cells) for administration to a patient for treating a condition which depends upon a cellular functional effect, the method comprising measuring an non-coding RNA expression profile for the cells for a pre-determined non-coding RNA or panel of non-coding RNAs known to correlate with the cellular functional effect and inferring therefrom a relative propensity to the cellular functional effect and determining therefrom with reference to a predetermined dose for a pre-determined propensity to the cellular functional effect an actual dose to be administered to a patient.

A method of treatment of a human or animal patient in need thereof, the method comprising administering one or a plurality of cell therapy doses to said patient, said cell therapy dose effective in treating said patient by a cellular function effect as between the cell therapy and the patient, the cellular function effect having been inferred by use of non-coding RNA expression profile.

A population of cells selected to have a non-coding RNA expression profile for a pre-defined non-coding RNA or panel of non-coding RNAs that correlates with a pre-defined cellular functional effect optionally for a pre-determined purpose, which cellular functional effect is a functional effect of a cell population which effect is temporally, procedurally or interventionally separated from the cell population from which the expression data or expression profiles derive.

A cell population for use in the treatment of a condition in a patient in need thereof, which treatment is mediated by a pre-defined cellular functional effect, the cell population provided in a dose or dosage regimen determined according to the non-coding RNA expression of the cell population for a pre-defined non-coding RNA or panel of non-coding RNAs that correlates with the cellular functional effect to a degree that corresponds with one of a plurality of possible doses or dosage regimen.

A cell population as claimed in any one of claims which are human cells.

A kit for use to identify, determine or infer the propensity or relative propensity of a population of cells for a cellular functional effect, optionally for use in a pre-determine purpose, the kit comprising primers for use in quantitative PCR (polymerase chain reaction), primers being for a non-coding RNA or panel of non-coding RNAs known or identified as correlating with the cellular functional effect, which cellular functional effect is a functional effect of a cell population which effect is temporally, procedurally or interventionally separated from the cell population from which the expression data or expression profiles derive.

A use, methods, population of cells or kit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the non-coding RNA are miRNA.