Abstract: The invention relates to assays for screening growth factors, adhesion molecules, immunostimulatory molecules, extracellular matrix components and other materials, alone or in combination, simultaneously or temporally, for the ability to induce directed differentiation of pluripotent and multipotent stem cells.

Abstract: The invention relates to assays for screening growth factors, adhesion molecules, immunostimulatory molecules, extracellular matrix components and other materials, alone or in combination, simultaneously or temporally, for the ability to induce directed differentiation of pluripotent and multipotent stem cells.

Abstract: De-differentiation protocols are described herein for generating progenitor cells from adult connective tissue, in particular adult human fibroblasts. The de-differentiation protocols described herein comprise culturing the differentiated cells with an amount of FGF2 to de-differentiate the cells. These de-differentiated cells may then be cultured and used for experimentation, amplification and clinical applications. The clinical applications include the use of the cells for tissue and cell based therapies.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for rapid, continuous generation of cells and cell products using magnetically stabilized three-dimensional tissue culture. The invention also pertains to a continuous flow self-regulating closed system bioreactor system for magnetically stabilized three-dimensional tissue culture. The methods described here do not use traditional solid scaffolding for cell culture.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for rapid, continuous generation of cells and cell products using magnetically stabilized three-dimensional tissue culture. The invention also pertains to a continuous flow self-regulating closed system bioreactor system for magnetically stabilized three-dimensional tissue culture. The methods described here do not use traditional solid scaffolding for cell culture.

Abstract: De-differentiation protocols are described herein for generating progenitor cells from adult connective tissue, in particular adult human fibroblasts. The de-differentiation protocols described herein comprise culturing the differentiated cells with an amount of FGF2 to de-differentiate the cells. These de-differentiated cells may then be cultured and used for experimentation, amplification and clinical applications. The clinical applications include the use of the cells for tissue and cell based therapies.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of making pluripotent stem cells that does not involve the formation of early preimplantation embryos or fetal tissue. The method has general utility in the production of pluripotent stem cells from many mammalian species but has particular application in man where pluripotent stem cell production can be customized to particular human individual. The method involves the fusion of donor somatic or stem cells (or their karyoplasts) with cytoplasmic, membrane-delimited fragments of mammalian oocytes or zygotes. After the initial genomic reprogramming occurs, the cells can proliferate and thus multiply in vitro yielding a large number of autologous cells for cell therapy application. The result of this process is a cell population genomically identical to the somatic, differentiated cells derived from an individual patient.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of obtaining an organism which has been characterized as having cells containing exogenous genetic material which includes any sequence of DNA that can be distinguished as exogenous by known molecular biological analysis by insertion of genetic material into an animal's genetic makeup. The insertion of the genetic material is done by inserting DNA that has been complexed with molecules that allow the DNA to be inserted into the chromosomes when injected into the cytoplasm, perivitelline space, or placed in surrounding culture media to be taken up and incorporated into the genome. When the DNA is complexed into the polyelectrolyte molecules by electrostatic attraction, the electric charge of DNA of the complex is partially to substantially neutralized. The present method does not require the genetic material to be introduced into the embryo at a particular stage in development.