Methods for providing differentiated stem cells

Patent Number: 6576464

It is well known that embryonic stem cells can cause cancers called teratomas. This patent teaches the transfection of embryonic stem cells with suicide genes so that after the embryonic stem cell or its differentiated progeny are introduced into the body, they can be induced to kill themselves after having performed their effects. Of course we all know that cells mutate and even one small mutation would make the stem cell or its derivatives refuse to kill themselves !!

View this patent on the USPTO website.