Use of human embryonic stem cells for drug screening and toxicity testing

Patent Number: 7041438

This is a very broad patent that essentially covers all drug screening using a specific type of stem cells. The inventors describe these stem cells as "primate Pluripotent Stem cells" (pPS cells), thus including pre-embryonic, embryonic, or fetal tissue-derived cells that can be induced to differentiated into progeny of the three germinal layers: endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. This of course covers embryonic stem cells. The patent has 3 independent claims. The first basically covers using pPS, either differentiated or undifferentiated for screening of agents. The second covers differentiated pPS for screening (by differentiated, one skilled in the art would believe ANY tissue). The third covers specifically assessment of the level of toxicity or modulation.

View this patent on the USPTO website.