CONDITIONALLY IMMORTALIZED LONG-TERM STEM CELLS AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING SUCH CELLS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide methods to generate, maintain and manipulate stable cell lines that can give rise to all cell lineages that would normally arise from such cells when placed under the appropriate conditions.SOLUTION: One embodiment of the invention relates to a method for preparing conditionally immortalized adult stem cells. The method comprises the steps of: (a) obtaining an expanded population of adult stem cells; (b) transfecting the stem cells with a first nucleic acid molecule comprising a protooncogene or biologically active fragment or homolog thereof that promotes cell survival and proliferation where the protooncogene is inducible; (c) transfecting the stem cells with a second nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein that inhibits apoptosis of the cell; and (d) expanding the transfected cell in the presence of a combination of stem cell growth factors and under the conditions whereby the protooncogene is active, for preparing conditionally immortalized adult stem cells.SELECTED DRAWING: None