The present invention relates to precursor cells to hepatic stellate cells, compositions comprising same and methods of isolating same. The surface antigenic profile of the precursors is MHC class Ia negative, ICAM-1.sup.+, VCAM-1.sup.+, 3-integrin.sup.+. In addition to expression of these surface markers, the cells also express the intracellular markers desmin, vimentin, smooth muscle -actin, nestin, hepatocyte growth factor, stromal derived factor-1 and Hlx homeobox transcriptional factor.

The present disclosure pertains to modified immune cells comprising fusion proteins and methods of using and making immune cells comprising fusion proteins. The present disclosure also pertains to modified immune cells comprising exogenous cytokines and chimeric antigen receptors and methods of using and making said immune cells.

Provided are methods for treating or preventing vasculopathy in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a prostacyclin and a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) or a MSC-conditioned culture medium or administering to the subject a MSC or a MSC-conditioned culture medium that has treated with prostacyclin. Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for such treatments are also provided.

Methods for generating pre-epicardial cells (PECs) and/or cardiomyocytes (CMs) useful for cardiac tissue engineering, compositions comprising the cells, and methods of use thereof.

Provided are a maintenance medium for primate pluripotent stem cells, and a method for preserving and a method for controlling proliferation of primate pluripotent stem cells using the medium. The maintenance medium for human pluripotent stem cells according to the present invention includes xylose as a saccharide.

Methods for de-differentiating or altering the life-span of desired recipient cells, e.g., human somatic cells, by the introduction of cytoplasm from a more primitive, less differentiated cell type, e.g., oocyte or blastomere are provided. These methods can be used to produce embryonic stem cells and to increase the efficiency of gene therapy by allowing for desired cells to be subjected to multiple genetic modifications without becoming senescent. Such cytoplasm may be fractionated and/or subjected to subtractive hybridization and the active materials (sufficient for de-differentiation) identified and produced by recombinant methods.

The present invention relates to precursor cells to hepatic stellate cells, compositions comprising same and methods of isolating same. The surface antigenic profile of the precursors is MHC class Ia negative, ICAM-1.sup.+, VCAM-1.sup.+, 3-integrin.sup.+. In addition to expression of these surface markers, the cells also express the intracellular markers desmin, vimentin, smooth muscle -actin, nestin, hepatocyte growth factor, stromal derived factor-1 and Hlx homeobox transcriptional factor.

The present invention relates to the use of the biomarker Flattop (Fltp) for distinguishing mature cells from immature progenitor cells. The present invention further relates to a method for distinguishing a mature cell from an immature progenitor cell, the method comprising: determining the presence or absence of the biomarker Flattop (Fltp) in a cell; wherein the presence of Fltp in the cell indicates that the cell is a mature cell and wherein the absence of Fltp in the cell indicates that the cell is an immature progenitor cell. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of identifying a compound suitable for differentiating immature progenitor cells into mature cells as well as to a method of identifying a compound suitable for preventing the de-differentiating of mature cells.

Methods are provided for treating and/or reducing the severity of multiple sclerosis in a human, by administering autologous mesenchymal stem cell-derived neural precursors. Also described is an in vitro method for differentiating mesenchymal stem-cell derived neural precursor oligodengroglial and neuronal cell types.

The present invention relates to equine amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells (eAM-MSCs) and a preparation method thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to equine amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells, which show negative immunological responses to all of the human markers CD19, CD20, CD28, CD31, CD34, CD38, CD41a, CD62L, CD62P and CD200, and positive immunological responses to all of the human markers CD44, CD90 and CD105, and have the ability to be maintained in an undifferentiated state for 14 passages or more and the ability to differentiate into ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm-derived cells.