ES cell cytoplasm or ooplasm transfer to rejuventate recipient cells

摘要

Methods for de-differentiating or altering the life-span of desired “recipient” cells, e.g., human somatic cells, by the introduction of cytoplasm from a more primitive, less differentiated cell type, e.g., oocyte or blastomere are provided. These methods can be used to produce embryonic stem cells and to increase the efficiency of gene therapy by allowing for desired cells to be subjected to multiple genetic modifications without becoming senescent. Such cytoplasm may be fractionated and/or subjected to subtractive hybridization and the active materials (sufficient for de-differentiation) identified and produced by recombinant methods.

主权项

1. An in vitro method for reprogramming or increasing the life-span of a recipient cell comprising transferring part of the cytoplasm of a donor cell into an isolated recipient cell and a telomerase or a DNA construct that provides for the expression of telomerase into said recipient cell or recipient cell nucleus, wherein the donor cell is less differentiated than the recipient cell or is an undifferentiated cell, and wherein the donor cell is at or near senescence.