Methods for Stimulating Growth and/or Proliferation of Stem Cells

SK 501

Summary

Myelosuppression is a common complication of cancer therapy. It also occurs following administration of antibiotics, antidepressant, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, or anti-viral agents. Myelosuppression also accompanies a variety of immunosuppressive disorder such as AIDS. The present invention provides methods to stimulate the proliferation and growth of stem cells, and more specifically of hematopoietic stem cells using fibroblast growths factors alone or in combination.

Advantages:

An increasing number of conditions call for proliferation and recovery of stem cells. The present method is applicable to hematopoietic stem cells but is also applicable to bone marrow stromal cells, neural stem cells and myeloid progenitor cells.

Area of Application

  • Treatment, in vivo, of a disease associated with dysplasia or aplasia of a bone marrow cell linage.
  • In vitro proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells

Stage of Development

Proof of concept: In vitro

Lead Inventors

  • Janice Gabrilove, PhD
  • Elaine Wilson, PhD

Contact information

Yashodhara Dash, MBBS, PhD, MBA
Tel. 212-639-6181; Fax 212-717-3439
E-mail: dashy@mskcc.org