Parthenogenic activation of human oocytes for the production of human embryonic stem cells

Abstract

Methods of producing human stem cells are disclosed for parthenogenetically activating human oocytes by manipulation of O2 tension, including manipulation of Ca2+ under high O2 tension and contacting oocytes with serine threonine kinase inhibitors under low O2 tension, isolating inner cell masses (ICMs) from the activated oocytes, and culturing the cells of the isolated ICMs under high O2 tension. Moreover, methods are described for the production of stems cells from activated oocytes in the absence of non-human animal products, including the use of human feeder cells/products for culturing ICM/stem cells. Stem cells produced by the disclosed methods are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A differentiated cell derived from a stem cell obtained from a parthenogenetically activated oocyte from a human donor. 
     
     
         2 . The differentiated cell of  claim 1 , wherein the differentiated cell is histocompatible with the oocyte donor. 
     
     
         3 . The differentiated cell of  claim 1 , wherein the differentiated cell is selected from the group consisting of a neuronal cell, cardiac cell, smooth muscle cell, striated muscle cell, endothelial cell, osteoblast, oligodendrocyte, hematopoietic cell, adipose cell, stromal cell, chondrocyte, astrocyte, dendritic cell, keratinocyte, pancreatic islet, lymphoid precursor cell, mast cell, mesodermal cell, and endodermal cell. 
     
     
         4 . The differentiated cell of  claim 3 , wherein the cell expresses neurofiliment 68, NCAM, beta III-tubulin, GFAP, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The differentiated cell of  claim 3 , wherein the cell expresses alpha-actinin, desmin, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The differentiated cell of  claim 3 , wherein the cell expresses PECAM-1, VE-Cadherin, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The differentiated cell of  claim 3 , wherein the cell expresses alpha-fetoprotein. 
     
     
         8 . The differentiated cell of  claim 3 , wherein the cell comprises homoplasmic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).