Methods of generating mesenchymal stem cells which secrete neurotrophic factors

Abstract

A method of generating MSCs which secrete neurotrophic factors (NTFs) comprising incubating a population of undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a differentiating medium comprising basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), heregulin and cAMP.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating a disease for which administration of neurotrophic factors is beneficial in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an isolated population of cells which secretes neurotrophic factors, generated by incubating a population of undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a differentiating medium comprising basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), heregulin and cAMP, wherein said undifferentiated MSCs have not been precultured in another medium that induces differentiation and wherein the generating cells is effected in a single differentiation step, thereby treating the disease. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cells are ex vivo differentiated from MSCs which are autologous to said subject. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cells are ex vivo differentiated from MSCs which are allogeneic to said subject. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said cells are ex vivo differentiated from MSCs which are derived from the bone marrow of said subject. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said disease is selected from the group consisting of a neurodegenerative disease, a neurological disease and an immune disease. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said neurodegenerative disease is selected from the group consisting of Parkinson's Disease, Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), stroke, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, diabetic neuropathy, glaucomatous neuropathy, Alzheimer's disease, Autism, Rett syndrome and Huntingdon's disease. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said neurodegenerative disease is ALS. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said immune disease is an autoimmune disease. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said autoimmune disease is myasthenia gravis. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administering is effected intramuscularly and/or intrathecally. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when said administering is effected intramuscularly, a total amount of cells administered is between 20-100×10 6  cells. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when said administering is effected intrathecally, an amount of MSC-NTFs administered is between 50-200×10 6  cells per administration. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when said administering is effected intrathecally and intramuscularly, a total amount of MSC-NTFs administered is between 20-500×10 6  cells. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administering is effected multiple times.