Compositions and methods for generating skin

Patent Number: 7,560,275

This patent covers a mammalian cell that has properties of spores and is useful for regeneration of new skin. 

Its first independent claim is:

A population of isolated mammalian or avian multipotent spore-like cells (MSLCs) isolated or cultured from skin tissue and which can differentiate into two or more mature skin cell type cells. wherein the MSLCs, when first isolated, are approximately one to ten microns in diameter, wherein the MSLCs are viable following essentially complete oxygen-deprivation for twenty four hours or more, wherein the MSLCs are surrounded by an outer membrane that is rich in glycolipids and mucopolysaccharides so that the MSLCs appear to have one or more dark stripes when viewed by transmission electron microscopy, and wherein nucleic acids account for at least about 50% of the volume of each spore-like cell within the population.

View this patent on the USPTO website.