PROTEIN SUSTAINING UNDIFFERENTIATED STEM CELLS AS SUCH

摘要

It has been successfully achieved to sustain stem cells for example, hematopoietic stem cells while holding the undifferentiated state and pluripotency by providing a polypeptide having a WIF domain for example, WIF-1 to the stem cells. This polypeptide preferably contains an EGF-like repeat too. It has been achieved by providing a polypeptide preferably having the WIF domain together with a stem cell survival factor such as SCF. Thus, it becomes possible to easily provide a large amount of stem cells for example, hematopoietic stem cells containing functional precursor cells. It also becomes possible to more efficiently transfer a gene into the stem cells. Because of being homogeneous and almost free from impurities, the stem cell composition can remarkably relieve the side effects for example, infection occurring in the conventional therapy with the use of hematopoietic stem cells.