Abstract: The present invention relates to hematopoietic cells, and more specifically to methods for long-term in vitro culturing and ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic cells. The present invention also provides compositions useful for culturing cells, such as media for culturing hematopoietic cells, specifically haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and haematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC). The present invention further provides compositions including growth factor combinations and methods utilising altered growth and environmental conditions that are applicable in vitro culturing and to ex vivo expansion of HSC and/or HPC.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of inducing pluripotency in a responsive mammalian cell, which comprises introducing into the cell an effective amount for initiating pluripotency within the cell of Oct4 protein or a functionally equivalent analogue, variant or fragment thereof. The invention also relates to a method of treatment and/or prophylaxis of a degenerative disease or injury in a mammal, which comprises removing from the mammal one or more responsive cells and culturing the cells in a suitable medium, introducing into the cells an effective amount of Oct4 protein or a functionally equivalent analogue, variant or fragment thereof and subsequently returning the cells to the patient. A further aspect of the invention relates to a method of treatment and/or prophylaxis of a degenerative disease or injury in a mammal, which comprises introducing into responsive cells of the patient an effective amount of Oct4 protein or a functionally equivalent analogue, variant or fragment thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of inducing pluripotency in a responsive mammalian cell, which comprises introducing into the cell an effective amount for initiating pluripotency within the cell of Sox2 protein or a functionally equivalent analogue, variant or fragment thereof. The invention also relates to a method of treatment and/or prophylaxis of a degenerative disease or injury in a mammal, which comprises removing from the mammal one or more responsive cells and culturing the cells in a suitable medium, introducing into the cells an effective amount of Sox2 protein or a functionally equivalent analogue, variant or fragment thereof and subsequently returning the cells to the patient. In a further embodiment the invention relates to a method of treatment and/or prophylaxis of a degenerative disease or injury in a mammal, which comprises introducing into responsive cells of the mammal an effective amount of Sox2 protein or a functionally equivalent analogue, variant or fragment thereof.