Description of Invention:
The current invention embodies methods for easily generating large numbers of dendritic cells from IL-3 cultured populations of monocytes. Dendritic cells are potent antigen presenting cells which are capable of mediating a variety of cell-mediated (T cell) immune responses, and therefore are clearly of value for use in immunotherapy. In addition, dendritic cells are quite rare in peripheral blood and therefore cannot be isolated in sufficient numbers for use in therapeutic applications. This method significantly enhances the generation of human dendritic cells from peripheral blood monocytes making possible more extensive use and study of this unique cell population and thereby clearly serving to overcome these difficulties. In addition to the methods embodied in the invention, ex vivo therapeutic applications, pharmaceutical compositions and diagnostic methods are claimed, as are cell cultures for making the dendritic cells.

Inventors:
Edward L Nelson (NCI)
Susan L Strobl (NCI)


Patent Status:
HHS, Reference No. E-181-1997/0
US, , Patent No. 6,479,286, Issued 12 Nov 2002
PCT, Application No. PCT/US98/10311 filed 20 May 1998



Portfolios:
Infectious Diseases
Internal Medicine
Internal Medicine - Diagnostics
Internal Medicine - Therapeutics



For Additional Information Please Contact:
Whitney Hastings
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd. Suite 325,
Rockville, MD 20852
United States
Email: hastingw@mail.nih.gov
Phone: 301-451-7337
Fax: 301-402-0220


Ref No: 1773

Updated: 07/2008