Use of 2-pentanone and specific receptor thereof in a manufacture of a product regulating a cell function, a regulation of cell function, a manufacture of a product promoting an increase in an intracellular calcium ion concentration, or a manufacture of a product promoting an increase in a neuronal firing rate is provided. In the present disclosure, the specific receptor of 2-pentanone is expressed in cultured cells or animals, and its specific binding to 2-pentanone opens ligand-gated cation channels, resulting in an increase of intracellular calcium ion concentration, depolarization of cell membranes, and generation of electrical activity or endocrine activity, thereby finally achieving precise regulation of tissue cells and organ functions. After being treated, cells can be activated rapidly, producing effects with a rapid onset; once the treatment is stopped, the experimental effect can be quickly terminated to allow the cells to return to their original state quickly.

A method for producing a cell-containing extracellular matrix is provided, the method including preparing an extracellular matrix solution which contains (i) an extracellular matrix precursor and (ii) cells or a cell mass inside a pipette having a tip opening portion; discharging the extracellular matrix solution to form a drop of the extracellular matrix solution at the tip opening portion of the pipette; bringing the tip opening portion of the pipette close to a culture surface of a cell culture container to place the drop on the culture surface while avoiding bringing the tip opening portion of the pipette into contact with the culture surface; moving the tip opening portion of the pipette away from the culture surface to separate the drop from the tip opening portion of the pipette; and gelating the extracellular matrix solution to form a cell-containing extracellular matrix.

Methods are disclosed for treating a subject with a tumor. These methods include administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of CD8.sup.+CD39.sup.+CD103.sup.+ T cells. Methods also are disclosed for isolating a nucleic acid encoding a T cell receptor (TCR) that specifically binds a tumor cell antigen. These methods include isolating CD8.sup.+CD39.sup.+CD103.sup.+ T cells from a sample from a subject with a tumor expressing the tumor cell antigen, and cloning a nucleic acid molecule encoding a TCR from the CD8.sup.+CD39.sup.+CD103.sup.+ T cells. In addition, methods are disclosed for expanding CD8.sup.+CD39.sup.+CD103.sup.+ T cells. In additional embodiments, methods are disclosed for determining if a subject with a tumor will respond to a checkpoint inhibitor. The methods include detecting the presence of CD8.sup.+CD39.sup.+CD103.sup.+ T cells in a biological sample from a subject.

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.

Methods are disclosed for treating a subject with a tumor. These methods include administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of CD8.sup.+CD39.sup.+CD103.sup.+ T cells. Methods also are disclosed for isolating a nucleic acid encoding a T cell receptor (TCR) that specifically binds a tumor cell antigen. These methods include isolating CD8.sup.+CD39.sup.+CD103.sup.+ T cells from a sample from a subject with a tumor expressing the tumor cell antigen, and cloning a nucleic acid molecule encoding a TCR from the CD8.sup.+CD39.sup.+CD103.sup.+ T cells. In addition, methods are disclosed for expanding CD8.sup.+CD39.sup.+CD103.sup.+ T cells. In additional embodiments, methods are disclosed for determining if a subject with a tumor will respond to a checkpoint inhibitor. The methods include detecting the presence of CD8.sup.+CD39.sup.+CD103.sup.+ T cells in a biological sample from a subject.

The present invention provides in vitro methods of differentiating brain mural cells and methods of use, including use in blood brain barrier models. Suitable in vitro derived cell populations of brain mural cells are also provided.

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 multicellular culture models for the study of neuroinflammation, such as to identify novel targets, biomarkers, and therapeutic agents for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Further provided herein are assays for studying neuroinflammation using the present cell culture models.

Disclosed is a method for resisting aging and enhancing stemness characteristics of human mesenchymal stem cells. Through co-culture of immune cells in human peripheral blood and aging human mesenchymal stem cells in cell-to-cell contact mode, the method can significantly reverse the aging characteristics of the aging human mesenchymal stem cells, including reducing expressions of cell aging markers such as β-galactosidase, P21 and P16 proteins, and can regulate the cell cycle of the aging human mesenchymal stem cells, specifically by reducing the number of cells in G1 phase and increasing the number of cells in S phase. More importantly, the method can significantly enhance the stemness characteristics of the aging human mesenchymal stem cells, such as abilities of self-renewal, proliferation and multidirectional differentiation potential, and the cells obtained by the culture method are used to treat disease models, which is safe and effective. The present invention can be directly applied to long-term in vitro expansion of the human mesenchymal stem cells, solves the problem of cell aging in the expansion process, restores cell vitality, and improves clinical application effects.

The present invention relates to an anti-inflammatory, skin-regenerative, whitening, antioxidant, or wound-healing composition containing a culture medium of adipose-derived stem cell-T (ADSC-T) cells as an active ingredient, in which T-antigen is introduced into an adipose-derived stem cell. The culture medium of ADSC-T cells, according to the present invention, has remarkable effects for treating or inhibiting inflammation by alleviating atopic dermatitis, which is an autoimmune disease, and inhibiting NF-κB activities through an increase of an Iκbα expression. Additionally, the culture medium, according to the present invention, exhibits: excellent skin regenerative effects by having effects of enhancing skin collagen elasticity and reducing wounds, in a collagen culture; excellent skin whitening effects by inhibiting tyrosinase activities and melanin production; and excellent anti-oxidation effects by inhibiting DPPH radical activities. Furthermore, the present invention has remarkable wound-healing effects by enhancing cell mobility of fibroblast, and is thus useful for anti-inflammation, skin-regeneration, whitening, anti-oxidation, or healing wounds.