Compositions and methods for enrichment of neural stem cells using ceramide analogs

Patent Number: 7,445,931

There are numerous ways to maintain embryonic stem cells in culture proliferating and not to lose their differentiation ability.  For example, Novocell, Geron, and WARF have issued patents on various approaches to this problem.  But perhaps equally, if not more, important is the question of how to differentiate the embryonic stem cells into specific lineages and at a scale that is commercially feasible.

The current patent, which is assigned to Bresagen, one of the companies that fused with Novocell and Cythera to become Novocell, teaches the use of special ceramides for inducing differentiation of "pluripotent cells", which includes IPS and ES cells, into neuronal progenitors. 

The patent specifically covers the use of the ceramides listed below (its all Greek to me !!)...however what I do know is that various ceramides are involved in induction of cellular apoptosis or proliferative events, depending on the cell and its signal.  Therefore it will be interesting to see how the pathways that are being manipulated in the current patent are related to physiological pathways (for example, Fas ligand mediated apoptosis of T cells is dependent on sphingomyelinase generation of ceramides...what happens if you activate the same pathway in ES cells?).

N-(2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethyl)-palmitoylamide ("S16")

N-(2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethyl)-oleoylamide ("S18")

N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)palmitoylamide ("B16")

N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)oleoylamide ("B18")

N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-palmitoylamide ("T16")

N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-oleoylamide ("T18")

N-acetyl sphingosine ("C2-ceramide"), and N-hexanoylsphingosine ("C6-ceramide")

View this patent on the USPTO website.