# US 8,785,187 B2 · Neural stem cells > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,785,187 B2 - Document ID: US8785187B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/148,431 - Filed: 2005-06-09 - Published: 2006-01-19 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2004-06-09 - Assignees: The University Court of the University of Edinburgh - Applicants: Luciano Conti; Steven Michael Pollard; Austin Gerard Smith - Inventors: Luciano Conti; Steven Michael Pollard; Austin Gerard Smith - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8785187B2 ## CPC - C12N 5/0623: {Stem cells} - A61P 9/10: for treating ischaemic or atherosclerotic diseases, e.g. antianginal drugs, coronary vasodilators, drugs for myocardial infarction, retinopathy, cerebrovascula insufficiency, renal arteriosclerosis - A61P 25/00: Drugs for disorders of the nervous system - A61P 25/02: for peripheral neuropathies - A61P 25/14: for treating abnormal movements, e.g. chorea, dyskinesia - A61P 25/16: Anti-Parkinson drugs - A61P 25/28: for treating neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous system, e.g. nootropic agents, cognition enhancers, drugs for treating Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia - A61K 35/12: Materials from mammals; Compositions comprising non-specified tissues or cells; Compositions comprising non-embryonic stem cells; Genetically modified cells (vaccines or medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies A61K39/00) - C12N 2501/11: Epidermal growth factor [EGF] - C12N 2501/115: Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF-2) - C12N 2506/02: from embryonic cells - C12N 2533/52: Fibronectin; Laminin - C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00) - A61P: SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS - A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D) ## Abstract A homogenous, symmetrically dividing population of adherent neural stem cells is obtained from ES cells or foetal or adult brain isolates, using an activator of a signalling pathway downstream of a receptor of the EGF receptor family, optionally in combination with an activator of a signalling pathway downstream of an FGF receptor. The neural stem cell population is highly pure and retains the ability to differentiate into neurons after in excess of 100 passages. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A composition, comprising: neural stem cells; EGF; and FGF-2, wherein the neural stem cells are in a feeder-free, adherent monolayer culture and wherein at least 95% of said cells are symmetrically-dividing neural stem cells and wherein no more than 1% of the cells are positive for the expression of markers from mature astrocytes, neurons and oligodendrocytes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein at least 97% of said neural stem cells are symmetrically-dividing neural stem cells. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein the neural stem cells are characterized in that they are positive for the expression of RC2, 3CB2, BLBP and Sox-2. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The composition of claim 3, wherein the neural stem cells are further characterized in that they are positive for the expression of at least one of (i) GLAST, (ii) Pax-6, (iii) the neural precursor markers nestin or vimentin, (iv) the LewisX antigen, (v) Musashi-1 and (vi) prominin. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The composition of claim 4, wherein the neural stem cells are further characterised in that they are negative for the expression of at least one of Oct4 and Nanog. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The composition of claim 4, wherein the neural stem cells are positive for the expression of Sox-2, and negative for the expression of Sox-1. ### Claim 7 A mouse neural stem cell line, wherein said neural stem cells are maintained in the presence of EGF and FGF-2 in a feeder-free, adherent monolayer culture and wherein at least 95% of said cells are symmetrically-dividing neural stem cells and wherein no more than 1% of cells in the line are positive for expression of GFAP or βIII tubulin. ### Claim 8 A human neural stem cell line, wherein said neural stem cells are maintained in the presence of EGF and FGF-2 in a feeder-free, adherent monolayer culture and wherein at least 95% of said cells are symmetrically-dividing neural stem cells and wherein no more than 1% of cells in the line are positive for expression of markers for mature astrocytes, neurons or oligodendrocytes. ### Claim 9 A population of neural stem cells, wherein said neural stem cells are maintained in the presence of EGF and FGF-2 in a feeder-free, adherent monolayer culture and wherein at least 95% of said cells are symmetrically-dividing neural stem cells and wherein no more than 1% of the cells are positive for the expression markers for mature astrocytes, neurons, and oligodendrocytes. ### Claim 10 A cell line, wherein the cells are maintained in the presence of EGF and FGF-2 in a feeder-free, adherent monolayer culture, wherein at least 95% of said cells are symmetrically-dividing neural stem cells and wherein no more than 1% of the cells are positive for the expression of markers for mature astrocytes, neurons, and oligodendrocytes. ### Claim 11 A composition comprising neural stem cells, EGF, and FGF-2, wherein the neural stem cells are in a feeder-free, adherent monolayer culture and at least 95% of the cells in the composition are symmetrically-dividing neural stem cells and wherein no more than 1% of the cells are positive for the expression of markers for mature astrocytes, neurons, and oligodendrocytes. ### Claim 12 A composition comprising neural stem cells, EGF, and FGF-2, wherein the neural stem cells are in a feeder-free, adherent monolayer culture, and wherein at least 95% of the cells in the composition are symmetrically-dividing neural stem cells.