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.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for treating diseases or disorders of the nervous system using promoter-driven Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) and DREADD agonists are disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the genetically modified non-human animals that express a human or chimeric TIGIT (e.g., humanized TIGIT), and methods of use thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to culture media for oocytes and uses thereof. Specifically, media for culturing an oocyte in vitro are disclosed, wherein said media comprise granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). The presence of GM-CSF in the media increases the maturation and/or developmental competence of the oocyte making it suitable for use in subsequent assisted reproductive technologies. Methods for increasing the maturation and/or developmental competence of an oocyte are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the genetically modified non-human animals that express a human or chimeric OX40, and methods of use thereof.

Abstract: Expression of exogenous SNAI2, EYA1 and SIX1 genes in a cell, tissue or organ not normally having nephron progenitor activity, induces or re-programs that cell to have or subsequently develop nephron progenitor activity. Nephron progenitors induced 5 by expression of SNAI2, EYA1 and SIX1 may be used for the production of nephron cells and tissues that are useful in treatment of kidney disorders, kidney regeneration, kidney transplantation, bioprinting and nephrotoxocity testing.

Abstract: A method of treating a tumor in a subject including administering a genetically modified mesenchymal stem cell (MSC), wherein the MSC includes one or more exogenous nucleic acid molecule(s), wherein the one or more exogenous nucleic acid molecule(s) includes one or more regions encoding two or more immune response-stimulating cytokines operably linked to one or more promoters or promoter/enhancer combinations, wherein the two or more immune response-stimulating cytokines include at least IL-7, and at least one of IL-12 or IL-21.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a method for producing brown adipocytes, osteoblasts, cartilage cells, neural cells, or cardiac cells from somatic cells without performing artificial gene transfer; brown adipocytes, osteoblasts, cartilage cells, neural cells, or cardiac cells; or a composition including a combination of chemical substances that can be used for the aforementioned production method. An example of the present invention is a method for producing brown adipocytes, osteoblasts, cartilage cells, neural cells, or cardiac cells including a step for culturing somatic cells in the presence or absence of an inhibitor or activator selected from the group consisting of an ALK5 inhibitor, an ALK6 inhibitor, an AMPK inhibitor, a cAMP activator, an ALK2 inhibitor, an ALK3 inhibitor, a GSK3 inhibitor, and an Erk inhibitor.

Abstract: Cell culture systems and methods provide improved immunotherapeutic product manufacturing with greater scalability, flexibility, and automation. Cell culture systems are configured with interchangeable cartridges, allowing versatility and scalability. Systems are configured to have multiple connected cell culture chambers, which allows parallel processing of different types of cells. Gas-impermeable cell culture chambers and methods for generating cells in closed systems prevent contamination and user error. Methods for recycling cell culture medium provide additional efficiencies.

Abstract: The present invention provides a non-human animal having human interleukin-34 (IL-34) in the body thereof; a method for producing a non-human animal having human microglia, which includes transplanting human CD34-positive hematopoietic stem cells into the non-human animal having human IL-34 in the body; and a method for producing human microglia, which includes obtaining human microglia from the non-human animal having human microglia.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for reprogramming cells from aged donors or senescent cells to pluripotent cells that have lost marks of senescence. In particular, the invention relates to an ex vivo method for preparing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a target cell population comprising cells from aged donors or senescent cells, said method comprising the steps of culturing said target cell population under appropriate conditions for reprogramming said cells into iPSCs, wherein said appropriate conditions comprises increasing expression in said target cells, of at least the following reprogramming factors: Oct4, Klf4, Sox2, c-Myc, Lin28 and, optionally Nanog.

Abstract: In related-art methods of differentiating pluripotent stem cells into a desired cell type, there has not been established a differentiation induction method using human ES/iPS cells and being highly efficient. Many attempts have been made, including a stepwise differentiation induction method based on the control of culture conditions or the addition of, for example, various cell growth factors/differentiation factors to a culture solution, but the use of complicated culture steps is a big problem. A method of inducing differentiation into a desired cell type within a short period of time and with high efficiency by use of a pluripotent stem cell that actively undergoes cell differentiation, which is obtained by reducing an undifferentiated state of the pluripotent stem cell, has been developed, and thus the present invention has been completed.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and compostions to improve the efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and the consequent production of nuclear transfer ESC (ntESC) and transgenic cells and/or non-human animals. More specifically, the present invention relates to the discovery that trimethylation of Histone H3-Lysine 9 (H3K9me3) in reprogramming resistant regions (RRRs) in the nuclear genetic material of donor somatic cells prevents efficient somatic cell nuclear reprogramming or SCNT. The present invention provide methods and compositions to decrease H3K9me3 in methods to improve efficacy of SCNT by exogenous or overexpression of the demethylase Kdm4 family and/or inhibiting methylation of H3K9me3 by inhibiting the histone methyltransferases Suv39h1 and/or Suv39h2.

Abstract: A delivery vehicle which comprises a nucleic acid construct, wherein the nucleic acid construct comprises (i) an enhancer which specifically drives gene expression in cells of the entorhinal cortex (ii) a promoter; and (iii) a therapeutic gene, wherein said enhancer, promoter and therapeutic gene are operatively linked, said enhancer and therapeutic gene are heterologous, and said delivery vehicle is suitable for delivery of the nucleic acid construct to the brain of a mammal.

Abstract: The invention is in the field of cell culturing. More specifically, it is in the field of generating and expanding myogenic cells from induced pluripotent stem (i PS) cells. The invention relates inter alia to cells generated and expanded via such a method, a growth medium specifically suited for the purpose of expanding isolated myogenic cells, and methods for screening compounds on cell structures such as myotubes and myofibers.

Abstract: Provided in the present invention is a method for inducing pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into ventricular myocytes in vitro, which is achieved by maintaining, amplifying and culturing pluripotent stem cells in vitro, adding a substance capable of activating the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway directly or indirectly into the culture medium when pluripotent stem cells are in the middle stage of myocardial differentiation, i.e. the period of differentiating into cardiac muscle cells from mesoderm cells or myocardial precursor cells, which enables stem cells to differentiate into ventricular myocytes directionally.

Abstract: Immunocompatible pluripotent stem cells (pSCs), which include cells compatible with different patient populations or patient-specific cells, find wide application in regenerative medicine therapies. Described herein are immunocompatible pSCs generated using techniques such as parthenogenesis resulting in cells possessing desired haplotypes of reduced zygosity, antigenically compatible with multiple patient populations, or nuclear transfer allowing generation of patient-specific cells. Methods described herein related to parthenogenesis, nuclear transfer, or pSC cell line generation. Also described herein are compositions of immunocompatible pSCs and cell lines generated by the aforementioned techniques.

Abstract: The disclosure provides implants containing a plurality of particles containing at least one population of viable cells adherent to and resident in soft tissue matrix or at least one viable population of cells caused to be in contact with the soft tissue matrix; methods of fabricating the implants; and use of the implants in tissue repair.

Abstract: A method comprising (a) obtaining young adult stem cells (YASC) from a first subject; (b) lysing the YASC to generate a lysate comprising an intracellular matrix (ICM) and other cellular components; (c) filtering the lysate through a filter having a membrane size of equal to or less than 0.4 micron to obtain a filtrate; and (d) applying the filtrate to a culture of aged adult stem cells (AASC) for a time period ranging from about 24 hours to about 30 days to generate a reprogrammed AASC (R-AASC) wherein the AASC were obtained from a second subject and wherein the R-AASC when infused into a breast cancer stem model results in a reduced number of breast cancer cells in bone marrow in comparison to a breast cancer stem model having AASC that have not been reprogrammed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the genetically modified non-human animals that express a human or chimeric OX40, and methods of use thereof.