Methods of controlling proliferation and differentiation of stem and progenitor cells

Patent Number: 6962698

This patent essentially teaches that reducing the copper content in a hematopoietic culture increases efficiency of the culture. The patent has 2 independent claims, the first covering "A method of transplanting expanded undifferentiated hematopoietic cells " and the second covering "A method of adoptive immunotherapy ". The idea that reducing copper content expands ability of stem cells to multiply and not differentiate is interesting since clinically the practice of chelation therapy is used by numerous people. Chelation therapy involves administration intravenously of compounds that bind to metals such as copper. Usually chelation therapy is used for heart disease, but also for other indications in the area of complimentary medicine. The question if chelation therapy is an "in vivo" modification of this patent is very interesting. Since circulating endothelial stem cells are correlated with improvement in heart disease, this could conceptually be one of the mechanisms of action of chelation therapy.

View this patent on the USPTO website.