Preparation of pure cultures of post-mitotic human neurons

Patent Number: 5175103

This patent covers one of the few stem cell therapies that actually entered clinical trials. The patent is for a teratocarcinoma cell line that is induced to differentiate into neurons with retinoic acid (and/or other factors) and then stops proliferating and can be used for cell therapy in stroke.

The technology was eventually developed clinically by Layton Biosciences. Administration of the cells described in this patent to stroke patients was actually able to induce partial recovery in some of them.

Post-mortum studies demonstrated that cells administered actually interdigitated with neurons in the patients.

View this patent on the USPTO website.