Method for producing non-neoplastic, three dimensional, mammalian tissue and cell aggregates under microgravity culture conditions and the products produced therefrom
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorsThomas J. Goodwin, David A. Wolf, Glenn F. Spaulding, Tacey L. Prewett
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Abstract
Normal mammalian tissue and the culturing process has been developed for the three groups of organ, structural and blood tissue. The cells are grown in vitro under microgravity culture conditions and form three dimensional cells aggregates with normal cell function. The microgravity culture conditions may be microgravity or simulated microgravity created in a horizontal rotating wall culture vessel.
Claims41
A process for producing aggregates of non-neoplastic mammalian cells comprising:
- (a) isolating non-neoplastic mammalian cells;
- (b) inoculating the isolated, non-neoplastic cells into a culture vessel containing culture media and a culture matrix;
- (c) culturing the non-neoplastic cells under microgravity culture conditions;
- and
- (d) maintaining the microgravity culture conditions whereby three dimensional tissue growth is achieved thereby producing aggregates of non-neoplastic mammalian cells.
A process for producing non-neoplastic mammalian organ tissue comprising:
- (a) isolating non-neoplastic, differentiated epithelial cells;
- (b) isolating non-neoplastic, differentiated mesenchymal cells;
- (c) inoculating the isolated, non-neoplastic epithelial cells and the isolated, non-neoplastic mesenchymal cells into a horizontal rotating wall culture vessel containing culture media and a culture matrix;
- (d) culturing the non-neoplastic epithelial cells and the non-neoplastic mesenchymal cells under microgravity culture conditions;
- and
- (e) maintaining the microgravity culture conditions whereby three dimensional tissue growth is achieved thereby producing non-neoplastic mammalian organ tissue.
A process for producing non-neoplastic mammalian structural tissue comprising:
- (a) isolating non-neoplastic mammalian structural cells;
- (b) inoculating the isolated, non-neoplastic mammalian structural cells into a culture vessel containing culture media and a culture matrix;
- (c) culturing the non-neoplastic mammalian structural cells under microgravity culture conditions;
- and
- (d) maintaining the micro gravity culture conditions whereby three dimensional tissue growth is achieved thereby producing non-neoplastic mammalian structural tissue.
A process for producing non-neoplastic mammalian cartilage tissue comprising:
- (a) isolating non-neoplastic mammalian cartilage cells;
- (b) inoculating the isolated, non-neoplastic mammalian structural cells into a culture vessel containing culture media and a culture matrix;
- (c) culturing the non-neoplastic mammalian structural cells under microgravity culture conditions wherein microgravity culture conditions are created by a horizontal rotating wall culture vessel in unit gravity, and wherein the horizontal rotation of the culture vessel is controlled to produce the simultaneous conditions of:
- (i) collocation of cells and culture matrix with similar or differing sedimentation properties in a similar spatial region,
- (ii) freedom for three dimensional spatial orientation of tissues formed by the culturing of the cells, and
- (iii) low shear and essentially no relative motion of the culture environment with respect to the walls of the culture vessel;
- and
- (d) maintaining the micro gravity culture conditions whereby three dimensional tissue growth is achieved thereby producing non-neoplastic mammalian structural tissue.
A process for producing non-neoplastic mammalian blood tissue comprising:
- (a) isolating non-neoplastic mammalian bone marrow cells;
- (b) inoculating the isolated, non-neoplastic mammalian bone marrow cells into a culture vessel containing culture media and a culture matrix;
- (c) culturing the non-neoplastic mammalian bone marrow cells under microgravity culture conditions;
- and
- (d) maintaining the microgravity culture conditions whereby three dimensional tissue growth is achieved thereby producing non-neoplastic mammalian blood tissue.
A non-neoplastic mammalian organ tissue comprising a three dimensional tissue mass anchored to spherical microcarriers wherein said three dimensional tissue mass is produced by the process comprising:
- (a) inoculating isolated non-neoplastic epithelial cells and isolated non-neoplastic mesenchymal cells into a horizontal rotating wall culture vessel containing culture media and spherical microcarriers;
- (b) culturing the isolated non-neoplastic epithelial cells and the isolated non-neoplastic mesenchymal cells under microgravity conditions;
- and
- (c) maintaining the microgravity culture conditions whereby three dimensional tissue growth is achieved thereby producing said three dimensional tissue mass anchored to the microcarriers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.