Cardiomyocyte precursors from human embryonic stem cells

Patent Number: 7,425,448

Geron has taken a very strategic approach to embryonic stem cells.  They inlicensed composition of matter patents on embryonic stem cells, such as #5,843,780 from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), they patented methods of culturing embryonic stem cells in serum free conditions so to allow for clinical use (# 7,410,798), they patent methods of identifying whether a stem cell is still in its undifferentiated state (# 7,153,650), and of course patented methods of inducing differentiation of the embryonic stem cells into therapeutically useful cells (# 7,282,366 teaches to make hepatocytes, #7,033,831 teaches to make pancreatic islets).

The current patent is another differentiation patent, this time covering methods of inducing differentiation of embryonic stem cells into cardiac cells.  The invention's first and only independent claim covers "a system" for the generation of cardiomyocytes from ES cells by isolation of cells expressing cardiac troponin I (cTnI), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), or atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) from an ES culture and expansion of said cells. 

It is of interest to note how specific concentrations of cells and percentage expression of markers were used in the drafting of the claims. 

View this patent on the USPTO website.