Production of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons

Patent Number: 6844312

Neurons that express tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) are subfunctional in diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. This patent teachs how to generate TH expressing neurons through contacting stem cells with FGF-1, an agent that activates protein kinase A, as well as a phorbol ester and dopamine.

The ability to generate TH neurons in this manner may lead not only to in vitro generation methods, but also to establishment of cell lines that may be readily transplanted for clinical use.

View this patent on the USPTO website.