The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for culturing a population of hepatocytes in vitro, comprising co-culturing the population of hepatocytes with at least one non-parenchymal cell population and incubating the co-culture in culture medium, wherein the co-culture is periodically incubated in culture medium that does not comprise serum (serum-free culture medium).

The present disclosure relates to an engineered immune cell and use thereof. The present disclosure provides an engineered immune cell comprising a CAR or engineered TCR, which CAR or engineered TCR can comprise a first antigen binding domain and a second antigen binding domain. The engineered immune cells of the present disclosure, when administered into a subject, can inhibit the host immune cells such as T cells and/or NK cells and enhance the survival and persistence of the engineered immune cells in vivo, thereby exhibiting more effective tumor killing activity.

A method of obtaining a population of cells enriched in human polymorphonuclear myeloid derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) comprises isolating from a cell suspension those cells which express LOX-1 to provide a population of cells enriched with PMN-MDSCs. A method of monitoring the population of LOX-1+ cells in a cell-containing biological sample is useful for determining the efficacy of treatment or the metastasis or increasing progression of cancer. Other cell isolation and diagnostic methods are also described.

A method of identifying a neoantigen in a tumor of a subject is disclosed. The method comprises:

(a) culturing cells of the tumor under conditions which generate single cell clones of the tumor; and

(b) analyzing the single cell clones for expression of a neoantigen which is reactive with T cells from the subject, thereby identifying the neoantigen in a tumor of a subject.

The present invention relates to functional binding fragments comprising the minimal CSA-binding fragments of VAR2CSA and their use in identification and isolation of circulating trophoblast and/or fetal cells suitable for non-invasive prenatal diagnostic testing. Thus, the present invention describes methods of identifying and isolating trophoblast and/or fetal cells in a biological sample such as a maternal blood, and utilizing this for prenatal diagnostics.

The present invention is in the field of oncology, and more particularly of cancer stem cells. It relates to a method for producing cancer stem cells based on overexpression of Δ133p53β isoform, Δ133p53γ isoform, or both Δ133p53β and Δ133p53γ isoforms; a method for predicting the risk that treatment with a chemotherapeutic anti-cancer agent induces cancer stem cells in a subject suffering from cancer from a cancer sample of said subject, based on detection of an increase in Δ133p53β isoform, Δ133p53γ isoform, or both Δ133p53β and Δ133p53γ isoforms following chemotherapeutic anti-cancer treatment; to therapeutic uses of a combination of chemotherapeutic anti-cancer agent and an agent reducing Δ133p53β isoform, Δ133p53γ isoform, or both Δ133p53β and Δ133p53γ isoforms expression; and also to screening methods for anti-cancer stem cells agents.

The present invention provides a kit of vectors comprising: (i) a first vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a first marker component; and (ii) a second vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a second marker component, wherein, when a cell is transduced with both the first and second vectors, the first and second marker components are expressed by the cell and associate forming a hetero-multimeric marker which is recognised by a cell sorting reagent whereas, when a cell is transduced with either the first or second vector alone, expression of the first or second marker component alone is not recognised by the cell sorting reagent.

There is provided a method for enhancing immune function of an immune cell, and an immune cell line produced using the method. A method for enhancing immune function of an immune cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: treating immune cells with a PI3K inhibitor to activate AKT/mTOR downstream signal ex vivo; and culturing the immune cells treated with the PI3K inhibitor such that a lowered AKT level rebounds.

The present invention relates to a method of immobilizing a cell on a support, the method comprising a) providing a compound or salt thereof comprising, preferably consisting of, one or more hydrophobic domains attached to a hydrophilic domain, wherein the one or more hydrophobic domains are covalently bound to said hydrophilic domain, and wherein the one or more hydrophobic domains each comprise a linear lipid, a steroid or a hydrophobic vitamin, and wherein the hydrophilic domain comprises a polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety, and wherein the compound comprises a linking group; b) contacting a cell with the compound under conditions allowing the interaction of the compound with the membrane of the cell, thereby immobilizing the linking group on the surface of the cell; and c) contacting the linking group immobilized on the cell with a support capable of binding the linking group, thereby immobilizing the cell on the support.

A method is provided, inter alia, for treating a subject suffering from an infectious or neoplastic disease with immunotherapy. The method includes determining the critical concentration of immune cells required to treat or eradicate an infectious or neoplastic disease in the subject using an in vitro assay of the present invention; and administering to the subject the critical concentration of immune cells determined in the assay.