Methods and compositions for generating hematopoietic cells

Abstract

Maturation signals provided via cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/Exchange proteins activated by cAMP (Epac) signaling during in vitro generation of blood cells from reprogrammed cells or pluripotent stem cells achieve superior function of hematopoietic cells differentiated from stem cells. The cAMP/Epac signaling enables an increased efficiency of production of precursor to blood and to blood cells. These generated blood cells can be utilized for therapeutics, treatments, disease prevention, drug discovery, personalized medicine, regenerative medicine, cell and tissue generation, universal donor banks and related methods and compositions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of producing hematopoietic cells, comprising: 
 (a) obtaining cells that are capable of generating hematopoietic cells;   (b) culturing said cells under conditions that specify them towards the hematopoietic lineage and/or through hematopoietic lineages; and   (c) culturing said cells in a medium that compnses an activator of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) or cAMP-Epac axis, wherein Epac refers to Exchange proteins activated by cAMP, thereby obtaining hematopoietic cells.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising culturing or expanding the population of the cells prior to, during or after step (b). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming embryoid bodies from the stem cells prior to step (b) wherein the cells that are cultured in step (b) are said embryoid bodies. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein embryoid bodies are not formed. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the activator of cAMP reduces oxidative stress on the cells. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein oxidative stress is further reduced by either controlling the environmental oxygen level, or culturing the cells in the presence of redox state modifiers. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the activator of cAMP enhances expression of the CXCR4 protein on the surface of the cells. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cells are selected from the group consisting of pluripotent stem cells, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), directly reprogrammed somatic cells with hemogenic potential, hemogenic endothelial cells, precursors of hematopoietic cells, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cAMP and/or Epac activator is selected from the group consisting of forskolin, IBMX, norepinephrine, epinephrine, salmeterol, isoproterenol, db-cAMP, 8-Br-cAMP, Bucladesine, 6-Bnz-cAMP, cAMPS-Sp, triethylammonium salt, N6-Monobutyryladenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate sodium salt, 8-Bromoadenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate,
 Adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate, CW008 (4-Fluoro-N-[5-fluoro-6-(5-methoxypyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridin-3-yl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-3-yl]benzamide), Cholera toxin, Prostaglandins, or any combination thereof. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the culture of step (c) further comprises a direct activator of Epac. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the culture of step (c) excludes an inhibitor of Epac. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the culture of step (c) further comprises an inhibitor of macrophage development. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein macrophages are selectively removed in step (c). 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cAMP activator or cAMP-EPAC activator is present in the culture during steps (b) and (c). 
     
     
         15 . Hematopoietic cells obtainable by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . An artificial blood product comprising the hematopoietic cells of  claim 15 . 
     
     
         17 . A natural blood product supplemented with the hematopoietic cells of  claim 15 .