Directed in vitro differentiation of marrow stromal cells into neural cell progenitors

Patent Number: 7,547,545

This patent covers the generation of neurons from mesenchymal stem cells, or like the inventor calls them "mesenchymal stromal cells", which is the more politically correct way of naming them.

Very broad claims are issued, the first one being: "A method of producing a neural progenitor cell, said method comprising contacting an isolated bone marrow stromal cell with a compound that induces differentiation of said bone marrow stromal cell, wherein the compound is a cyclic AMP-stimulating compound that increases the intracellular level of cyclic AMP in said bone marrow stromal cell, thereby producing a neural progenitor cell."

So it appears like any compound that stimulates cAMP is covered.  Also interesting is that the patent is not restricted to the type of bone marrow stromal cell based on phenotype, so it appears that if someone were to take Osiris's Prochymal product (which hopefully will be on the market next year) and differentiates the cells in vivo, by coadministration with a cAMP activator like epinephrine, then they would be infringing on the patent.

View this patent on the USPTO website.