Patents by Inventor Barbara Varnum-Finney

Barbara Varnum-Finney has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Methods for immortalizing cells
    Patent number: 8071377
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for immortalizing precursor cells that are non-terminally differentiated cells such as stem cells, said methods comprising culturing the precursor cells in the presence of a Notch agonist and one or more growth factors that support the proliferation but not differentiation of the non-terminally differentiated cells. The present invention further provides methods to induce the differentiation of immortalized cells, comprising growing the cells in the presence of a Notch agonist and at least one growth factor which supports the differentiation of the cell into a more specialized cell type. The immortalized and/or differentiated cells of the invention can be used to repopulate cell populations that have been diminished, for example as a result of infection or exposure to certain drugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
    Inventors: Irwin D. Bernstein, Barbara Varnum-Finney
  • METHODS FOR IMMORTALIZING CELLS
    Publication number: 20090022696
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for immortalizing precursor cells that are non-terminally differentiated cells such as stem cells, said methods comprising culturing the precursor cells in the presence of a Notch agonist and one or more growth factors that support the proliferation but not differentiation of the non-terminally differentiated cells. The present invention further provides methods to induce the differentiation of immortalized cells, comprising growing the cells in the presence of a Notch agonist and at least one growth factor which supports the differentiation of the cell into a more specialized cell type. The immortalized and/or differentiated cells of the invention can be used to repopulate cell populations that have been diminished, for example as a result of infection or exposure to certain drugs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
    Inventors: Irwin D. Bernstein, Barbara Varnum-Finney
  • Methods for immortalizing cells
    Patent number: 7399633
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for immortalizing precursor cells that are non-terminally differentiated cells such as stem cells, said methods comprising culturing the precursor cells in the presence of a Notch agonist and one or more growth factors that support the proliferation but not differentiation of the non-terminally differentiated cells. The present invention further provides methods to induce the differentiation of immortalized cells, comprising growing the cells in the presence of a Notch agonist and at least one growth factor which supports the differentiation of the cell into a more specialized cell type. The immortalized and/or differentiated cells of the invention can be used to repopulate cell populations that have been diminished, for example as a result of infection or exposure to certain drugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
    Inventors: Irwin D. Bernstein, Barbara Varnum-Finney
  • Methods for immortalizing cells
    Publication number: 20040067583
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for immortalizing precursor cells that are non-terminally differentiated cells such as stem cells, said methods comprising culturing the precursor cells in the presence of a Notch agonist and one or more growth factors that support the proliferation but not differentiation of the non-terminally differentiated cells. The present invention further provides methods to induce the differentiation of immortalized cells, comprising growing the cells in the presence of a Notch agonist and at least one growth factor which supports the differentiation of the cell into a more specialized cell type. The immortalized and/or differentiated cells of the invention can be used to repopulate cell populations that have been diminished, for example as a result of infection or exposure to certain drugs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventors: Irwin D Bernstein, Barbara Varnum-Finney