Method Of Using Mitotically Inactivated Stem Cells For Damaged Tissue Repair

Abstract

The present invention is directed to the use of mitotically and/or lethally inactivated stem cells for the repair of damaged organs and/or tissues. Stem cells are mitotically and/or lethally inactivated and transplanted into damaged tissue. Any form of ex vivo inactivation of stem cells may be used such that the stem cells cannot undergo mitosis or cell division before in vivo application. Mitotically and/or lethally inactivated stem may be used to ameliorate numerous disease, injury, traumatic, ischemic, aging, and/or degenerative conditions in different types of organs and/or tissues.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for repairing tissue comprising:
 mitotically and/or lethally inactivating stems cells; and   transplanting the mitotically and/or lethally inactivated stem cells to the tissue.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the stem cells are pluripotent stem cells. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the pluripotent stem cells are isolated from embryos, placenta, or amniotic fluid or generated from any tissue or cell line. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the stem cells are inactivated using a method effective for inhibiting unlimited proliferation of embryonic stem cells. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the stem cells are inactivated with irradiation or mitomycin C, phototherapy, or any agent that inhibits cell proliferation. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tissue being repaired is selected from the group consisting of cardiac tissue, nerve tissue, muscle tissue, pancreatic tissue, epithelial tissue, hematopoietic tissue, liver tissue, or any tissue or organ in the body. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the mitotically and/or lethally inactivated stem cells do not form teratomas. 
     
     
         8 . A method of mitotically and/or lethally inactivating stem cells comprising:
 providing pluripotent stem cells; and   inactivating the pluripotent stem cells with a method effective for inhibiting unlimited proliferation of the pluripotent stem cells and effective for inactivating adult stem cells such as umbilical cord blood to prevent their growth or persistence in a recipient.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the pluripotent stem cells are isolated from embryos, placenta, or amniotic fluid and adult stem cells are isolated from any adult organ, from umbilical cord blood or placenta, wherein adult stem cells may be utilized to generate pluripotent stem cells 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the stem cells are inactivated with irradiation or mitomycin C, or any agent or technique effective for inhibiting cell proliferation up to and including lethal damage to the cell. 
     
     
         11 . Mitotically inactivated stem cell produced by a method comprising:
 providing pluripotent stem cells; and   inactivating the pluripotent stem cells with a method effective for inhibiting unlimited proliferation of the pluripotent stem cells.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the pluripotent stem cells are isolated from embryos, placenta, or amniotic fluid or from adult stem cells. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the embryonic stem cells are inactivated with irradiation, mitomycin C, phototherapy, or any agent that inhibits cell proliferation including but not limited to inhibitors of cellular components necessary for mitosis such as but not limited to protein synthesis, microtubule function, spindle check point unit, cell cycle specific kinases, cyclins, and or apoptotic inducing agents.