Abstract: The disclosure relates to oligodendrocyte-biased glial progenitor cells and methods of making, isolating, and using such cells.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to preparation of one or more cells, wherein cells of the preparation are modified to conditionally express (i) increased levels of one or more immune checkpoint proteins as compared to corresponding wild-type cells, (ii) reduced levels of one or more HLA-I proteins as compared to corresponding wild-type cells, or a combination of (i) and (ii). The present disclosure is further directed to methods and constructs for producing the cell preparations as well as methods of administering the cell preparation to a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to oligodendrocyte-biased glial progenitor cells and methods of making, isolating, and using such cells.

Abstract: The disclosure herein relates generally to a method of treating or inhibiting onset of Huntington's disease. This method involves selecting a subject having or at risk of having Huntington's disease and administering to the subject one or modulators of one or more genes as described herein, or proteins encoded therefrom, under conditions effective to treat or inhibit onset of Huntington's disease in the subject.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods of restoring K+ uptake by glial cells in a subject. These methods involve administering, to the subject, a SMAD4 inhibitor under conditions effective to restore K+ uptake by said glial cells. The present disclosure is also directed to methods of treating or inhibiting the onset of a neuropsychiatric disorder in a subject. These methods involve administering, to a subject in need thereof, a SMAD4 inhibitor under conditions effective to treat or inhibit the onset of the neuropsychiatric disorder in the subject.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and compositions for cryopreservation and reconstitution of engineered tissues. The engineered tissue compositions are functional after a cryopreservation-thaw cycle For example, the tissue compositions retain their structural integrity, maintain cell-cell communication, etc. In certain embodiments, the tissue compositions exhibit synchronous contractions, secrete a hormone, secrete a cytokine, secrete an RNA, secrete a growth factor, secrete an enzyme, and/or secrete a neurotransmitter, etc. in some embodiments, engineered tissue compositions are cultured, cryopreserved, and reconstituted in a closed system.

Abstract: Cell-free compositions for promoting restoration of tissue function or enhancement of tissue function and methods of stimulating or promoting restoration or enhancement of tissue function using the cell-free compositions. The compositions herein help stimulate endogenous pathways via a subject's own cells effectively for improving tissue function, enhancing tissue function, enhancing cell proliferation, etc. The compositions comprise one or a plurality of therapeutic components such as growth factors, extracellular matrix, DNA, RNA, hormones, drugs, cell surface receptors, enzymes, cytokines, angiogenesis modulating factors, etc., e.g., any material that can effectively activation endogenous pathways in the subject's own cell to a desired effect. The cell-free composition comprises a carrier or is attached to or integrated into and/or within a carrier.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are contractile cell constructs, methods for using them to treat disease, and methods for making them.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods of restoring glial cell K+ uptake in a subject. This method involves selecting a subject having impaired glial cell K+ uptake, and administering, to the selected subject, a RE1-Silencing Transcription factor (REST) inhibitor under conditions effective to restore glial cell K+ uptake. Subjects having impaired glial cell K+ uptake include those at risk of having or having a neuropsychiatric disease or disorder.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for screening compounds for cardiac effects (e.g., positive and negative effects). In particular, provided herein are engineered cardiac tissues suitable for measuring the effect of compounds on specific properties (e.g., electrical properties) of such engineered cardiac tissues.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are contractile cell constructs, methods for using them to treat disease, and methods for making them.

Abstract: Systems are provided for assessing the likelihood that a sample of cardiac tissue will spontaneously exhibit disordered electrical activity. These systems induce ventricular tachycardia or other disordered electrical activity in a sample of human and/or animal cardiac tissue either in vivo or in vitro. This system can be used to assess the ability of various pharmaceuticals, genetic modifications, electrical pacing, surgical ablation, or other therapeutic interventions to prevent or halt such disordered electrical activity. This system detects electrical activity from a plurality of points on the surface of the sample of cardiac tissue and generates one or more maps of monophasic action potential amplitude, monophasic action potential duration, local field amplitude, or other electrophysiological parameters of the cardiac tissue.

Abstract: Provided herein are scaffolds (e.g., synthetic meshes) having optimized material properties (e.g., initial stiffness, tensile strength) and related uses thereof (e.g., use in cardiac medical procedures).

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of assessing in vivo human glial cell response to pathogenic infection that involves providing a non-human mammal either with at least 30% of its glial cells in its corpus callosum being human glial cells and/or with at least 5% of its glial cells its brain and brain stem white matter being human glial cells, subjecting the non-human mammal to pathogenic infection and assessing the in vivo human glial cell response to pathogenic infection. A method of identifying therapeutic agents for the pathogenic infection as well as forms of the non-human mammal having a pathogenic brain infection are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method of treating a neuropsychiatric disorder. This method involves selecting a subject having the neuropsychiatric disorder and administering to the selected subject a preparation of glial progenitor cells at a dosage effective to treat the neuropsychiatric disorder in the subject. Another aspect of the disclosure is directed to a method of treating a neuropsychiatric disorder that includes selecting a subject having the neuropsychiatric disorder and administering, to the selected subject, a potassium (K+) channel activator at a dosage effective to restore normal brain interstitial glial K+ levels in the selected subject and treat the neuropsychiatric disorder is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for improving cardiac function. Specifically, the present invention provides compositions and methods for treating a subject having a disorder or condition associated with aberrant cardiac tissue function, comprising contacting a patient having a disorder or condition associated with aberrant cardiac tissue function with a construct, or a construct associated with therapeutic cells, or a construct associated with fibroblast cells and therapeutic cells.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods of producing a preparation of CD140a/PDGFR? positive cells from pluripotent cells, where the preparation comprises oligodendrocyte progenitor cells co-expressing OLIG2 and CD140a/PDGFR?. The cell preparation has an in vivo myelination efficiency that is equal to or greater than the in vivo myelination efficiency of a preparation of A2B5+/PSA-NCAM? sorted fetal human tissue derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Methods of enriching and therapeutic uses of the disclosed cell preparation are also described.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a preparation of CD140a/PDGFR? positive cells that comprises oligodendrocyte progenitor cells co-expressing OLIG2 and CD140a/PDGFR?. The preparation of cells is derived from pluripotent cells that were derived from skin cells, fibroblasts, umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood, bone marrow, or other somatic cells. The cell preparation has an in vivo myelination efficiency that is equal to or greater than the in vivo myelination efficiency of a preparation of A2B5+/PSA-NCAM? sorted fetal human tissue derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Methods of making, isolating and using the disclosed cell preparation are also described.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a preparation of CD140a/PDGFR? positive cells that comprises oligodendrocyte progenitor cells co-expressing OLIG2 and CD140a/PDGFR?. The preparation of cells is derived from pluripotent cells that were derived from skin cells, fibroblasts, umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood, bone marrow, or other somatic cells. The cell preparation has an in vivo myelination efficiency that is equal to or greater than the in vivo myelination efficiency of a preparation of A2B5+/PSA-NCAM? sorted fetal human tissue derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Methods of making, isolating and using the disclosed cell preparation are also described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of modulating production of neurons and/or oligodendrocytes from neural progenitor cells of human white matter and to a method of treating a subject for a condition modulated by underproduction of oligodendrocytes from human white matter. Both of these methods involve administering an agonist or antagonist of one or more molecules set forth in Tables 1 and/or 2 to the neural progenitor cells. Also disclosed is a method of using an inhibitor of sterol synthesis to differentiate oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to oligodendrocytes.