The invention provides a bioreactor and methods for tissue cultivation. A bioreactor module comprises a container, a holder adapted to hold a scaffold containing an inherent vascular network, an inlet connectable to a vessel of the inherent vascular network, an inflatable device disposed within the container, and a pair of electrodes attached to opposing walls of the container, wherein the holder is removably receivable in the container and the inflatable device has a conduit extending through a wall of the container. An alternative embodiment provides an in-vitro method for tissue cultivation, comprising seeding an interior and an exterior of a vessel of an inherent vascular network of a scaffold with a first and a second cell type, respectively, and perfusing through the inherent vascular network with culture medium to facilitate compartmentalized co-cultivation of the first and the second cell type in different niches of the tissue. A further embodiment provides an in-vitro method for tissue cultivation, comprising seeding a surface of a scaffold with a predetermined cell type, and perfusing the scaffold with culture medium from an opposite surface of the scaffold through the scaffold and towards the seeded surface to create a nutrient/oxygen gradient and cause migratory diffusion induced penetration of cells towards the opposite surface.

A conditioned medium of CD11b.sup.low macrophages and methods for preparing it are provided. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising the CD11b.sup.low macrophages conditioned medium or a culture of CD11b.sup.low macrophages and their use in the treatment of cancer or fibrosis are also provided.

The present invention relates to microfluidic fluidic systems and methods for the in vitro modeling diseases of the lung and small airway. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a system for testing responses of a microfluidic Small Airway-on-Chip infected with one or more infectious agents (e.g. respiratory viruses) as a model of respiratory disease exacerbation (e.g. asthma exacerbation). In one embodiment, this disease model on a microfluidic chip allows for a) the testing of anti-inflammatory and/or anti-viral compounds introduced into the system, as well as b) the monitoring of the participation, recruitment and/or movement of immune cells, including the transmigration of cells. In particular, this system provides, in one embodiment, an in-vitro platform for modeling severe asthma as “Severe Asthma-on-Chip.” In some embodiments, this invention provides a model of viral-induced asthma in humans for use in identifying potentially effective treatments.

The present invention relates to compositions of extracellular vesicles (EVs) which are characterized by a strong proangiogenic activity and are effective in the therapeutic treatment of ischemic diseases and ischemic injuries or in wound healing. The extracellular vesicles (EVs) suitable for use in the compositions of the invention are either derived from a blood component or are selected by means of a potency test for pro-angiogenesis. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing a pharmaceutical preparation of extracellular vesicles (EVs) characterized by a strong proangiogenic activity.

The present disclosure provides information on the methodology used in the fabrication of three-dimensional cellularized tissue constructs from free-standing evacuable 3D printed composites and/or scaffolds embedded in an extracellular matrix mimic generated from biocompatible materials. The purposes of using these composite and/or scaffold materials is to generate complex embedded lumens that allow for complete perfusion of the matrix construct by standard cell culture media, thereby allowing for maintenance of large-scale 3D cell cultures in specific geometric forms. The use of biological extracellular matrix materials is to provide essential biological and mechanical signals needed to regulate the behavior of encapsulated cells. Furthermore, the methodology can be adapted such that the lumens generated are capable of being seeded with various endothelial and epithelial cell types as desired, thereby allowing for mimicry of in vivo vasculature, intestinal tracts, and other lumen-containing constructs. This disclosure provides the methodology for generating the tissue constructs.

An object of the present invention is to provide a layered body of cells that is used in a co-culture technique and that is capable of recognizing as paracrine effect of each cell and detecting the effect with high intensity. The layered body of the present invention is a layered body 1A having a layered structure in which a gel layer 20a containing a hydrogel is disposed between at least two cell layers 10a and 10b containing cells of different types from each other, wherein the hydrogel is a multi-branched polymer hydrogel formed by a reaction of: Liquid A containing a multi-branched polymer A, the polymer containing, as a backbone, a polyethylene glycol containing at least three branches, the branches containing one or more electrophilic functional groups in at least one of a side chain(s) and an end(s); and Liquid B containing a multi-branched polymer B, the polymer containing, as a backbone, a polyethylene glycol containing at least three branches, the branches containing one or more nucleophilic functional groups in at least one of a side chain(s) and an end(s), the concentration of components derived from the multi-branched polymers A and B in the hydrogel is from 0.6 to 8% by weight, and the thickness is from 0.02 mm to 2 mm.

To provide a cell culture kit including cultured living cells of various donors, and a manufacturing method thereof. The cell culture kit includes a culture plate and living cells cultured thereon. The culture plate includes a plurality of microchambers (33) and living cells derived from various donors are adhered to surfaces of the plurality of microchambers (33). Specifically, living cells D1, D2, and D3 derived from various donors are adhered to the plurality of microchambers (33). In each microchamber (33), living cells derived from one donor or living cells derived from various donors may be cultured. The living cells derived from various donors are adhered and cultured in the cell culture kit as a whole, which makes it possible to provide a cell culture kit to conduct a test using cells derived from various donors.

A microbial-based composition provides a co-cultured microorganism consortium in culture medium that includes one or more Acetobacter sp., Bacillus sp., Bifidobacterium sp., Enter ococus sp., Gluconacetobacter sp., Lactobacillus sp., Rhodopseudomonas sp., Saccharomyces sp., Pichia sp., and Trichoderma sp., as well as a carbon source and chlorine-free water. In some embodiments, the microbial-based composition is useful in the agricultural industry as a plant growth promoting and silage-enhancing agent. For plant growth promotion applications, the microbial-based composition may be applied to the foliar surface of a plant or to the plant growth medium, such as soil or hydroponic solution, surrounding the plant. In silage operations, the microbial-based composition may be applied to a cut plant product during one or more stages in the silage process.

A technology regarding the production, formulation and use of conditioned media and the factors included therein is disclosed. The conditioned media may be inoculated with animal cells, plant cells and any combination thereof. The inoculations may occur simultaneous or at different times. Cells retrieved from different areas of the animal and/or the plant may also be cultured together to form conditioned media and associated growth factors.

Stem cell conditioned media and methods of producing the same to treat mammalian injuries or insults. In at least one embodiment of a method of producing a stem cell conditioned media of the present disclosure, the method comprises the steps of culturing at least one stem cell in a first cell culture medium, replacing some or all of the first cell culture medium with a second cell culture medium and further culturing the at least one stem cell in the second cell culture medium, and collecting a quantity of the second cell culture medium after a culture duration, wherein the quantity of the second cell culture medium contains a cell culture byproduct effective to treat a mammalian insult or injury. A stem cell culture supernatant containing at least one factor capable of exerting effective neuroprotection to treat a mammalian neural injury or insult.