Abstract: The present invention relates to preparations of induced pluripotent cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, and methods of making, isolating, and using these preparations.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of assessing in vivo human glial cell response to pathogenic infection that involves providing a non-human mammal either with at least 30% of its glial cells in its corpus callosum being human glial cells and/or with at least 5% of its glial cells its brain and brain stem white matter being human glial cells, subjecting the non-human mammal to pathogenic infection and assessing the in vivo human glial cell response to pathogenic infection. A method of identifying therapeutic agents for the pathogenic infection as well as forms of the non-human mammal having a pathogenic brain infection are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of modulating production of neurons and/or oligodendrocytes from neural progenitor cells of human white matter and to a method of treating a subject for a condition modulated by underproduction of oligodendrocytes from human white matter. Both of these methods involve administering an agonist or antagonist of one or more molecules set forth in Tables 1 and/or 2 to the neural progenitor cells. Also disclosed is a method of using an inhibitor of sterol synthesis to differentiate oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to oligodendrocytes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of modulating production of neurons and/or oligodendrocytes from neural progenitor cells of human white matter and to a method of treating a subject for a condition modulated by underproduction of oligodendrocytes from human white matter. Both of these methods involve administering an agonist or antagonist of one or more molecules set forth in Tables 1 and/or 2 to the neural progenitor cells. Also disclosed is a method of using an inhibitor of sterol synthesis to differentiate oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to oligodendrocytes.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of producing neuronal progenitor cells by providing an isolated population of progenitor cells from human brain white matter and permitting the isolated population of cells to differentiate to neuronal progenitor cells. Alternatively, neuronal progenitor cells can be produced by providing an isolated population of glial progenitor cells and permitting the isolated population of glial progenitor cells to differentiate to neuronal progenitor cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an enhancer which functions only in human brain and/or spinal cord motor neurons, where the enhancer comprises a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 10, or SEQ ID NO: 16. The enhancer can be utilized as part of a nucleic acid construct which also has a nucleic acid encoding a marker protein or a therapeutic protein, a 3? control region, and, optionally, a basal promoter, where these components are positioned with respect to one another to permit expression of the marker protein or the therapeutic protein. The enhancer of the present invention is useful in a method of isolating an enriched or purified population of motor neurons from a mixed population of human brain and/or spinal cells. In addition, the enhancer of the present invention can be used in a method of therapeutically targeting motor neurons.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are disclosed for stimulating weight loss and/or lowering triglyceride levels in an individual mammal in need thereof. In an exemplary method, a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of DITPA, and optionally one or more lipid-reducing agents, is administered to an individual mammal to stimulate weight loss, and/or reduce levels of triglyceride and/or lipoprotein in the mammal.

Abstract: One form of the present invention is directed to a method of remyelinating demyelinated axons by treating the demyelinated axons with oligodendrocyte progenitor cells under conditions which permit remyelination of the axons. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating a subject having a condition mediated by a loss of myelin or a loss of oligodendrocytes by administering to the subject oligodendrocyte progenitor cells under conditions effective to treat the condition mediated by a loss of myelin or a loss of oligodendrocytes. A further aspect of the present invention relates to an in vitro method of identifying and separating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells from a mixed population containing other mammalian brain or spinal cord cell types.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of isolating an enriched or purified population of motor neurons from a population of embryonic stem cells. This method involves providing a population of embryonic stem cells and selecting a promoter or enhancer which functions only in the motor neurons selected. A nucleic acid molecule encoding a marker protein under control of the promoter or enhancer is introduced into the induced population of embryonic stem cells. The motor neurons are allowed to express the marker protein and, the cells expressed in the marker protein are separated from the population of embryonic stem cells. The population of embryonic stem cells can be induced to produce a mixed population of cells comprising motor neurons before or after a nucleic acid molecule encoding the marker protein under control of the promoter enhancer is introduced into the population of embryonic stem cells. As a result, an enriched or purified population of motor neurons is isolated.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of separating oligodendrocyte cells or progenitor cells thereof from a mixed population of cells. It comprises selecting a promoter which functions only in the oligodendrocyte cells or progenitor cells thereof, introducing a nucleic acid molecule encoding a fluorescent protein under control of that promoter into the mixed population cells, allowing the oligodendrocyte cells or progenitor cells thereof to express the fluorescent protein, and separating the fluorescent cells from the mixed population cells, where the separated cells are the oligodendrocyte cells or progenitor cells thereof. The invention also relates to the isolated and enriched human oligodendrocyte cells or progenitor cells thereof.

Abstract: One form of the present invention is directed to a method of remyelinating demyelinated axons by treating the demyelinated axons with oligodendrocyte progenitor cells under conditions which permit remyelination of the axons. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating a subject having a condition mediated by a loss of myelin or a loss of oligodendrocytes by administering to the subject oligodendrocyte progenitor cells under conditions effective to treat the condition mediated by a loss of myelin or a loss of oligodendrocytes. A further aspect of the present invention relates to an in vitro method of identifying and separating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells from a mixed population containing other mammalian brain or spinal cord cell types. This further aspect of the present invention involves removing neurons and neuronal progenitor cells from the mixed population to produce a treated mixed population.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of treating a subject with acute spinal cord injury by administering a purine receptor antagonist to the subject under conditions effective to treat spinal cord injury. The purine receptor antagonist inhibits P2X purine receptor activation. The inhibition of P2X purine receptor activation can also be used in conjunction with methods of treating a subject with spinal cord ischemia resulting from stroke or vascular insult, interruption, or mechanical injury, treating a subject with ischemic or traumatic insults of brain tissue in regions expressing P2X receptors, and for inhibiting ATP-triggered brain or spinal cord cell death.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to oligodendrocyte-biased glial progenitor cells and methods of making, isolating, and using such cells.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods of treating a primary brain tumor and preventing the migratory spread of a primary brain tumor in a subject. These methods involve utilizing the CD24 surface protein selectively expressed on tumor progenitor cells as a therapeutic target as well as a means for directing oncolytic therapeutics directly to the tumor site. The present invention further relates to methods of diagnosing the presence of a brain tumor and monitoring the status of the brain tumor in a subject based on CD24 expression in tumor progenitor cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of inhibiting differentiation of a population of neural stem cells by contacting a purinergic receptor agonist and a population of neural stem cells under conditions effective to inhibit differentiation of the population of neural stem cells. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of producing neurons and/or glial cells from a population of neural stem cells by culturing a population of neural stem cells with a purinergic receptor antagonist under conditions effective to cause the neural stem cells to differentiate into neurons and/or glial cells. The purinergic receptor agonist can also be used in a method of inducing proliferation and self-renewal of neural stem cells in a subject and a method of treating a neurological disease or neurodegenerative condition in a subject. The purinergic receptor antagonist can also be used in treating a neoplastic disease of the brain or spinal cord in a subject.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of inducing neuronal production in the brain, recruiting neurons to the brain, and treating a neurodegenerative condition by providing a nucleic acid construct encoding a neurotrophic factor, and injecting the nucleic acid construct intraventricularly into a subject's brain.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and compositions for stimulating weight loss or lowering triglyceride levels in an individual in need thereof. In methods of the invention, a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of DITPA, and optionally one or a plurality of lipid lowering agents, is administered to an individual to stimulate weight loss, lower triglyceride and/or lipoprotein levels, and/or to treat one or more symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of inducing neuronal production in the brain, recruiting neurons to the brain, and treating a neurodegenerative condition by providing a nucleic acid construct encoding a neurotrophic factor, and injecting the nucleic acid construct intraventricularly into a subject's brain.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an enriched or purified preparation of isolated hippocampal neural progenitor cells and progeny thereof. The present invention also relates to a method of separating neural progenitor cells from a mixed population of cell types from hippocampal tissue. This method includes selecting a promoter which functions selectively in the neural progenitor cells, introducing a nucleic acid molecule encoding a fluorescent protein under control of said promoter into all cell types of the mixed population of cell types from hippocampal tissue, allowing only the neural progenitor cells, but not other cell types, within the mixed population to express said fluorescent protein, identifying cells of the mixed population of cell types that are fluorescent, which are restricted to the neural progenitor cells, and separating the fluorescent cells from the mixed population of cell types, wherein the separated cells are restricted to the neural progenitor cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of inducing neuronal production in a subject, a method of recruiting neurons to a subject's brain, and a method of treating a neurodegenerative condition by administering a neurotrophic factor and an inhibitor of pro-gliogenic bone morphogenetic proteins. Also disclosed is a method of suppressing astrocyte generation and inducing neuronal production in a subject, a method of treating a neurologic condition, and a method of suppressing glial scar formation in a subject by administering an inhibitor of pro-gliogenic bone morphogenetic proteins. Finally, the present invention involves a method of introducing a heterogeneous protein into a subject's brain and spinal cord by introducing a nucleic acid molecule encoding the heterogeneous protein introduced into the subject's ependyma, permitting the protein from the nucleic acid molecule to be expressed within the subject's ependyma, and permitting the expressed protein to migrate within the subject's brain and spinal cord.