Genetically engineered hematopoietic cells such as hematopoietic stem cells having one or more genetically edited genes of lineage-specific cell-surface proteins and therapeutic uses thereof, either alone or in combination with immune therapy that targets the lineage-specific cell-surface proteins.

The present invention generally relates to a method for producing hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells for therapeutic uses through a two-step process manipulating the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. Started from human pluripotent stem cells, the activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway of those stem cells is followed by downregulation of the Wnt signaling via various methods, including TGF-beta inhibition. Pharmaceutical composition matters and methods for treating a patient of hematopoietic diseases by administering therapeutically effective amounts of said stem cells or progenitor cells alone or together with other therapeutics are within the scope of this disclosure.

The present invention relates in part to nucleic acids encoding proteins, nucleic acids containing non-canonical nucleotides, therapeutics comprising nucleic acids, methods, kits, and devices for inducing cells to express proteins, methods, kits, and devices for transfecting, gene editing, and reprogramming cells, and cells, organisms, and therapeutics produced using these methods, kits, and devices. Methods for inducing cells to express proteins and for reprogramming and gene-editing cells using RNA are disclosed. Methods for producing cells from patient samples, cells produced using these methods, and therapeutics comprising cells produced using these methods are also disclosed.

Recombinant vectors containing at least: a backbone comprising essential sequences for integration into a target cell genome; a nucleic acid encoding a CCR5 RNAi operatively linked to a a first expression control element that regulates expression of the nucleic acid encoding the RNAi of the CCR5; a nucleic acid encoding at least the extracellular domain of CD25 operatively linked to a second expression control element that regulates expression of the nucleic acid encoding at least the extracellular domain of CD25 are provided by this disclosure. In an alternative aspect, the vector also contains polynucleotides encoding TRIM5alpha and HIV TAR decoy sequences along with gene expression regulation elements such as promoters operatively linked to the polynucleotides. The vectors are combined with packaging plasmid and envelope plasmids and optionally conjugated to cell-specific targeting antibodies. Diagnostic and therapeutic methods for using the compositions are further provided herein.

Methods of generating definitive hematopoietic cells from source cells including at least one of: differentiating iPS cells, cells directly reprogrammed to pre-cursors of hematopoietic cells, cells directly reprogrammed to definitive hematopoietic cells, and adult or neonatal hematopoietic cells from bone marrow, cord blood, placenta, or mobilized peripheral blood, the method including using a metabolic regulator to activate a tricarboxylic acid cycle of the source cells. Other methods relate to generating primitive hematopoietic cells from source cells including at least one of: differentiating iPS cells, cells directly reprogrammed to pre-cursors of hematopoietic cells, cells directly reprogrammed to definitive hematopoietic cells, and adult or neonatal hematopoietic cells from bone marrow, cord blood, placenta, or mobilized peripheral blood, the method including using a metabolic regulator to inhibit a tricarboxylic acid cycle of the source cells. Some aspects relate to a metabolic regulator for activation of a tricarboxylic acid cycle of source cells for the production of definitive or primitive hematopoietic cells.

The disclosure features methods and compositions for differentiating stem cells into hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) and/or Natural Killer (NK) cells. The methods and compositions described herein are used to differentiate stem or progenitor cells having at least one gene-edit that is maintained in the differentiated cell. Also provided are differentiated cells produced using the methods and compositions described herein for therapeutic applications.

Provided herein are compositions, methods, and systems, comprising a programmable nucleic acid-guided nuclease and sequence-diverged donor sequences. The compositions and methods described herein facilitate editing of a targeted locus using a diverged sequence encoding for a functional protein product.

The present invention relates to a new use for hematopoietic stein cells, and especially to the use of hematopoietic stein cells in the preparation of a formulation for treating viral diseases. The viral diseases are selected from viral hepatitis, influenza, viral interstitial pneumonia, viral encephalitis and avian influenza. The new use of hematopoietic stein cells provided by the present invention may have a good application prospect for the treatment of influenza viral diseases.

Provided are methods for expanding stem cells and/or lineage committed progenitor cells, such as hematopoietic stems cells and/or lineage committed progenitor cells, at least in part, by using compounds that antagonize AhR. The compounds are represented by formulae:

##STR00001## wherein the letters and symbols a, b, c, d, e, f, g, Z, R.sup.1b, R.sup.2a and R.sup.2b have the meanings provided in the specification. Also provided are compositions comprising stem cells and/or lineage committed progenitor cells expanded by methods disclosed herein and methods for the treatment of diseases treatable by same.

The methods of the invention employ targeted magnetic particles, preferably targeted nanomagnetic particles, and targeted buoyant particles such as buoyant microparticles and microbubbles. Among the benefits of the invention is the ability to combine targeted magnetic particles with differentially targeted buoyant particles to achieve separation of two or more specifically cell targeted populations during the same work flow.