Patent ID: 8557584
Filing Date: 2013-10-15
Classification: A61P,C12N

Abstract:
1. A method for obtaining an essentially homogeneous population of unmodified stem cells that are committed to differentiate to the same specific phenotype, the method comprising the steps: collecting a stem cells sample comprising a plurality of stem cells each including cellular DNA which comprises a plurality of sequences coding different genes and promoters allowing DNA-protein interactions; artificially introducing at least one DNA molecule into the plurality of stem cells of the stem cells sample thereby producing a modified stem cell sample, wherein the at least one artificially-introduced DNA molecule comprises: applying a specific stimulus to the modified stem cells sample to stimulate the production of the transcription factor protein molecule that is the early expressed gene that is only expressed in stem cells that are stimulated to become the specific phenotype associated with the specific transcription factor protein molecule and which the at least one binding site sequence of the artificially-introduced DNA molecule is apt to interact with in at least one cell of the modified stem cells sample, whereby due to interaction between the produced transcription factor protein molecule and the binding site sequence of the artificially-introduced DNA molecule the expression of the at least one DNA sequence coding the indicator molecule is initiated by the at least one minimal promoter sequence and the indicator molecule is synthesized; identifying stem cells comprising the produced transcription factor protein molecule by indentifying the presence of the indicator molecule in the stem cells; separating the identified stem cells from stem cells in which the indicator molecule is not present to obtain an essentially homogeneous population of stem cells comprising the indicator molecule; allowing the essentially homogeneous population of stem cells comprising the indicator molecule to undergo cell division to produce: identifying, subsequent to the cell division step, daughter stem cells containing the artificially-introduced DNA molecule by identifying the presence of the indicator molecule; and selecting and removing the identified daughter stem cells containing the artificially-introduced DNA molecule from the daughter stem cells that do not contain the artificially-introduced DNA molecule to obtain the essentially homogeneous population of unmodified stem cells that are committed to differentiate to the same specific phenotype.