The invention is situated in the field of cancer immunotherapy and more specifically the maturation of antigen-presenting cells in order to enhance their potency to induce an immune response.

The present disclosure relates to genetically modified B cells, including memory cells, differentiated to plasmablasts or plasma cells useful for long term in vivo expression of a transgene, such as a specific antibody or other protein therapeutic. Also disclosed are methods of producing the cells and methods of treatment.

The present invention discloses a method for screening, activating, amplifying and cryopreserving mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and establishing a cell bank of mesenchymal stem cells. The method includes the following steps: using a dedicated primary screening medium of mesenchymal stem cells for first-stage screening culture to obtain purified mesenchymal stem cells; using a dedicated activation and amplification medium of mesenchymal stem cells to perform second-stage activation and large-scale amplification culture on the purified mesenchymal stem cells to obtain a large number of mesenchymal stem cells with activation functions; using a dedicated cryopreserving fluid of mesenchymal stem cells to cryopreserve the stem cells and performing preservation according to ABO/RH typing and HLA typing; and establishing an information file for retrieval to construct a mesenchymal stem cell bank.

The present invention provides modified monocytes, modified macrophages, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the modified monocytes or modified macrophages described herein and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient. Uses of the modified monocytes or the modified macrophages for the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases and inducing cartilage formation are provided. Also disclosed herein are in vitro culture methods for generating the modified macrophages.

The invention provides a method for influencing the stability of an antibody producing cell, comprising directly or indirectly influencing the amount of BCL6 and/or Blimp 1 expression product within said antibody producing cell. Stable antibody producing cells and cell lines are also provided, as well as methods for producing antibodies using such cells and/or cell lines.

A method of manufacturing a multilayered cell sheet of neural crest stem cells (NCSCs), includes: (1) isolating and culturing NCSCs from peripheral nerves; (2) embedding the cultured NCSCs in a hydrogel; (3) culturing the hydrogel comprising the NCSCs embedded therein under stressed culture conditions in which a physical support is applied; and (4) culturing the resulting hydrogel of step (3) under non-stressed culture conditions in which a physical support is removed.

The current invention concerns isolated liver progenitor cells, cell lines thereof, cell populations comprising such and compositions comprising such wherein the liver progenitor cells are HLA-E positive. In addition, the invention concerns methods of preparing these liver progenitor cells.

The present invention is directed to methods of inducing a phenotypic change in a population of monocytes and; or macrophages. The method includes administering to the population of monocytes and/or macrophages, a macrophage stimulating agent coupled to a carrier molecule, wherein the carrier molecule facilitates macropinocytic uptake of the agent by monocytes and macrophages in the population and is defective in neonatal Fc receptor binding, wherein the administering induces a phenotypic change in the monocytes and macrophages in the population.

Many cell types in the body can remove apoptotic and cellular debris from tissues; however, the professional phagocyte, or antigen presenting cell (“APC”), has a high capacity to do so. The recognition of apoptotic cells (“ACs”) occurs via a series of evolutionarily-conserved, AC associated molecular-pattern receptors (“ACAMPRs”) on APCs that recognize and bind corresponding apoptotic-cell-associated molecular patterns (“ACAMPs”). These receptors recognize ligands such as phosphotidyl serine and oxidized lipids found on apoptotic cells. Savill et al. (2002); and Gregory et al. (2004).

The application relates to the delivery of immunomodulatory molecules, including cytokines, to the situs of tissue scaffolds, and wounds including injuries.