The invention relates to immuno-modulatory progenitor (IMP) cells and their use in therapy.

The present disclosure provides methods of increasing proliferation of adult salivary stem cells, methods of protecting adult salivary stem cells and improving salivary gland function. The methods include contacting adult salivary stem cells in vivo, in vitro, or ex vivo with a therapeutically effective amount of at least one isolated monoterpene and subjecting the adult salivary stem cells to radiation treatment. Increasing proliferation of adult salivary stem cells can be carried out to provide for an increase in the number of adult salivary stem cells and improve salivary gland function in an individual undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. The methods also include treating an individual with dry eye with a therapeutically effective amount of at least one isolated monoterpene.

The present disclosure relates to a method for improving the culture conditions of cultures of primary sweat gland cells and/or three-dimensional sweat gland equivalents, where the culture with from about 500 to about 500,000 sweat gland cells and a diameter of from about 100 to about 6,000 nm is initially prepared and then cultivated in a culture medium with neurotransmitters and/or from about 11 to about 100 ng/ml of at least one growth factor. Cultivation of these cells and models in a culture medium containing at least one neurotransmitter and/or from about 11 to about 100 ng/ml of at least one growth factor leads to an increase of sweat-gland-specific marker proteins. As a result, a loss of function, which occurs with an absence of or only low expression of these markers, can be avoided.

A method for producing a regenerative organ germ for transplantation includes using regenerative organ germ for transplantation ensuring continuity with a recipient after transplantation and facilitating transplantation procedures. A method for producing a regenerative organ germ provided with a guide for transplantation includes preparing a regenerative organ germ by closely contacting a first cell mass, which substantially consists of mesenchymal cells, and a second cell mass, which substantially consists of epithelial cells, culturing these cell masses within a support, and inserting the guide into the regenerative organ germ.

Cultured sebaceous gland cells capable of accumulating lipid droplets therein are provided. A method for producing mature human sebaceous gland cells, comprising culturing immature human sebaceous gland cells under hypoxic conditions.

The present disclosure relates to a method for isolating, maintaining, proliferating and differentiating monoclonal cells derived from human salivary gland epithelial stem cells or progenitor cells, and a production method for extracellular vesicles for treating salivary gland diseases. More specifically, conditions for isolating monoclonal salivary gland epithelial cells through an optimized subfractionation culturing method from a small amount of major salivary gland or minor salivary gland tissue obtained during surgery or biopsy processes have been established, and culture medium conditions for enabling long-term culture of salivary gland epithelial stem cells or progenitor cells in 2D have been established. Such high-purity monoclonal cells derived from human salivary gland epithelial stem cells or precursor cells are expected to be utilized not only as cell therapy products for fundamental treatment of salivary gland dysfunction and as candidates for extracellular vesicles, but also widely throughout salivary gland studies such as disease modeling, pathology research, drug screening, toxicity evaluation, and genetic manipulation.

Methods and compositions for treatment of dry-eye disorders are provided. In particular, the present disclosure provides methods and compositions for modulating WNT (Wingless and lnt-1) signaling in a subject to modulate regeneration of tear-producing acinar cells to treat aqueous-deficient type dry-eye diseases. Further disclosed are WNT signaling modulators used in the methods.

The invention relates to immuno-modulatory progenitor (IMP) cells and their use in therapy.

A cell culture system including a silk fibroid scaffold, culture media, and salivary gland cells. The salivary gland cells grown in the tissue culture system have physiological and morphological features like those of in vivo salivary gland cells. The cell culture system can be used to produce a salivary tissue-specific extracellular matrix capable of inducing differentiation of salivary gland cell precursors into salivary gland cells.

It is described a composite hydrogel containing egg white and alginate (EWA) polymers, and a method of producing same, wherein the alginate is cross-linked using frozen calcium chloride disks, creating a scaffold for cells comprising a slow-rate ions diffusion through the matrix, ensuring a homogenous crosslink and smooth surface.