The method for producing a cell aggregate including glial progenitor cells according to the present invention comprises: (1) a step of subjecting pluripotent stem cells to suspension culture in an embryoid-body-forming culture medium containing one or more SMAD signaling inhibitors and one or more Wnt signaling activators in the absence of feeder cells for 5 days to 10 days, to form a cell aggregate; (2) a step of subjecting the cell aggregate obtained in (1) to suspension culture in an embryoid-body-forming culture medium containing retinoic acid; (3) a step of subjecting the cell aggregate obtained in (2) to suspension culture in an embryoid-body-forming culture medium or neuron-and-glia-proliferating culture medium containing retinoic acid and one or more SHH signaling activators; and (4) a step of subjecting the cell aggregate obtained in (3) to suspension culture in a neuron-and-glia-proliferating culture medium containing no retinoic acid and one or more SHH signaling activators.

Methods are described for preparing auditory progenitor cells from gingival mesenchymal cells, for uses such as restoring hearing in hearing impaired individuals. In one aspect, a method of treating hearing loss associated with loss of sensory neurons in a human subject is provided, the method comprising the steps of: a. obtaining a population of gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs); b. optionally expanding the population of GMSCs in vitro; c. encapsulating the population of GMSCs in an elastic three-dimensional scaffold; d. exposing the encapsulated population of GMSCs to a composition comprising one or more growth factors; e. allowing co a sufficient period for the population of GMSCs to differentiate towards auditory progenitor cells; f. optionally retrieving the auditory progenitor cells from the scaffold; and g. introducing the auditory progenitor cells into the inner ear of the subject.

Provided are a scaffold including a plant protein and in-vitro meat produced by using the scaffold. Considering that the scaffold consists of a plant protein, cultured muscles or adipose tissues may be ingested together with the scaffold without being separated therefrom. By adjusting a ratio of a muscle cell and an adipocyte, in-vitro meat having desirable texture may be produced, and since various types of cells may adhere, proliferate, and differentiate on the scaffold, such a scaffold may be effectively utilized for mass production of in-vitro meat.

Provided is a medium composition for differentiation of a human induced pluripotent stem cell to a dermal papilla precursor cell, a differentiation method, and a use for inducing hair follicle neogenesis using the differentiated dermal papilla precursor cell. Further provided is a method for differentiating a human induced pluripotent stem cell into a dermal papilla precursor cell having hair follicle forming ability and a composition of a dermal papilla precursor cell specific differentiation medium for the above differentiation, and have effectively induced hair follicle neogenesis consisting only of human cells without conventional mouse-human hybrid hair follicles by using the human induced dermal papilla precursor cell and a human induced epidermal precursor cell obtained through the differentiation method. Human hair follicle tissue produced is expected to be useful as a therapeutic method for patients suffering from hair loss by overcoming the limitations of hair loss treatments.

Described herein are bioink compositions, which may have an elastic modulus similar to a natural tissue and/or tunable mechanical properties, along with methods of preparing and using the compositions. The compositions described herein may be useful as a medium for cell and/or tissue culture and/or for bioprinting, but are not limited thereto.

Described is a crosslinked hydrogel for muscle stem cell culture and a preparation method and use thereof. The preparation method includes: dissolving collagen to prepare a solution and adding alginate and heparan sulfate proteoglycan and uniformly mixing with the collagen solution; adding ε-PL and TGase into the solution, uniformly stirring, and putting a slurry into a mold for crosslinking to obtain the hydrogel. The hydrogel is prepared by linking the collagen, the polylysine, and the heparan sulfate proteoglycan using the TGase to form covalent crosslinking, and forming a compact three-dimensional “egg box” network structure through a physical electrostatic interaction between the polylysine and the alginate.

Provided herein are novel organoid culture media, organoid culture systems, and methods of culturing tumor organoids using the subject organoid culture media. Also provided herein are tumor organoids developed using such organoid culture systems, methods for assessing the clonal diversity of the tumor organoids, and methods for using such tumor organoids, for example, for tumor modelling and drug development applications. In particular embodiments, the tumor organoid culture media provided herein is substantially free of R-spondins (e.g., R-spondin1).

This disclosure provides novel anionic amphiphilic β-hairpin peptides that self-assemble under appropriate conditions to form a reversible gel-sol hydrogel that can be used, for example, to readily deliver protein therapeutics and cells by injection to a target location in a subject.

Provided herein are cytoplasts, compositions comprising cytoplasts, methods of using cytoplasts, and methods of treating a subject, such as providing benefits to a healthy or unhealthy subject, or treating or diagnosing a disease or condition in a subject. In some embodiments, methods of treating a subject include: administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising a cytoplast. Also, provided herein are compositions (e.g., pharmaceutical compositions) that include a cytoplast. Also, provided herein are kits comprising instructions for using the compositions or methods.

A 3D scaffold (3-dimensional scaffold) is comprised of a biocompatible polymer. The 3D scaffold includes a recess that is open towards the top side of the 3D scaffold as a colonization chamber for biological cells, a canal-type vessel, which at least partially surrounds the colonization chamber, a filling opening for the canal-type vessel, and an outlet opening for the canal-type vessel. A production method for the 3D scaffold is also provided and the 3D scaffold is used for colonizing the colonization chamber with biological cells.