INVENTIONS FOR LICENSE

MCL 2127.0: Dopaminergic Neurons Differentiated from Embryonic Cells for Treating Neurodegenerative Disorders

Ole Isacson, M.D. Ph.D., et al.

Parkinson's Disease
Neurodegenerative Disorders
Stem Cell Therapies

Background and Description

Cellular transplantation therapies are being investigated as possible therapies for serious neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease. More recently, attention has been focused on the use of stem cells as a source of tissue for such transplantation therapies. The inventors have discovered that, in disorders like Parkinson's Disease (PD), dopaminergic neurons in different locations of the brain are affected in different ways, with one particular cell type being depleted in post mortem analysis of PD brains. The invention features methods of directing the differentiation of embryonic stem cells and other totipotent cells into the cell types desired for treatment of any given disease.

Potential Commercial Uses

The invention features methods for generating specific types of dopaminergic neurons, by inhibiting one or more components of a particular signaling pathway in the cells. These cells can then be used in cellular transplantation therapies for PD and other disorders. Differentiation of stem cells into desired cell types can also be affected by the transfection and expression of genes encoding specific cell-fate inducing factors.

Publication and Patent Status

McLean Hospital is the owner of pending U.S. and PCT patent applications claiming this invention.

Licenses Available

McLean Hospital is offering a worldwide exclusive license to this technology.

For more information, please contact:

Anne Ritter, Licensing Manager
Partners Research Ventures and Licensing
amritter@partners.org
(617) 954-9529