MULTIPOTENT ADULT STEM CELLS, SOURCES THEREOF, METHODS OF OBTAINING AND MAINTAINING SAME, METHODS OF DIFFERENTIATION THEREOF. METHODS OF USE THEREOF AND CELLS DERIVED THEREFROM
An isolated multipotent adult stem cell (MASC), which has the capacity to be induced to differentiate to form at least one differentiated cell type of mesodermal, ectodermal or endodermal origin, is new. Independent claims are also included for: (1) creating (M1) a normal non-human animal; (2) compositions comprising: (a) a population of MASC and a medium, where the culture medium expands the MASC; or (b) a population of fully or partially purified MASC progeny; (3) isolating (M2) and propagating the MASC; (4) an expanded MASC population obtained by (M2); (5) differentiating (M3) MASC ex vivo or in vivo; (6) differentiated cells obtained by (M3); (7) a therapeutic composition comprising MASC and a pharmaceutical carrier, where the MASC are present in to produce bone marrow, blood, spleen, liver, lung, intestinal tract, eye, brain, immune system, bone, connective tissue, muscle, heart, blood vessels, pancreas, central nervous system, kidney, bladder, skin, epithelial appendages, breast-mammary gland, fat or mucosal surface (e.g. oral, esophageal, vaginal or anal) tissues; (8) restoring (M4) organ tissue or cellular function to a patient; (9) inhibiting (M5) the rejection of a heterologous MASC transplanted into a patient; (10) generating (M6) blood or individual blood components ex vivo; (11) drug discovery; (12) identifying (M7) the components of a differentiation pathway; (13) comparing (M8) differentiation in vitro with differentiation in vivo by comparing the results obtained in (M7); (14) identifying (M9) the molecular components of disease or injury; (15) generating (M10) products (which have therapeutic, diagnostic or research utility) in vitro; (16) inducing (M11) in a mammal, tolerance to an antigen administered to the mammal; (17) removing (M12) toxins from the blood of a patient; (18) delivering (M13) therapeutic products to a patient; and (19) testing (M14) the toxicity of a drug. ACTIVITY : Cytostatic; Cardiant; Cardiovascular; Hepatotropic; Hemostatic;