Disclosed are means of enhancing therapeutic effects of fibroblast administration through utilization of extracorporeal shock waves. In one embodiment, enhancement of intravenously administered fibroblast therapeutic activity is accomplished by introducing extracorporeal shock waves to the patient in need of therapy. In one specific embodiment, enhancement of the ability of fibroblasts administered intravenously to treat a condition is accomplished by exposure of areas areas affected by the condition to extracorporeal shock waves. In another specific embodiment, the invention provides transfection of IL-12 and/or IL-23 into fibroblasts to augment regenerative activity, including neuroregenerative and anticancer activity. In further embodiments the invention provides augmentation of regenerative activity by induction of T regulatory cells utilizing IL-35 transfection, wherein said T regulatory cells provide an optimized environment for stimulation of regenerative activity.

The present invention relates to a method for producing biodegradable fibers on the basis of a silane compound, said silane compound being crosslinked during production and, at least to some extent, an organic acid being incorporated into the forming crosslinked structure via covalent bonds and/or contributing to the crosslinking. The present invention also relates to the fibers that can be produced by the method according to the invention and to the use thereof.

In order to develop tools and methods useful in a variety of applications, including the research and development of medical treatments which involve the modification of collagen protein and use of the same, the present invention provides a modified collagen protein expressed in a transformed cell and capable of forming collagen fibers outside of the cell, wherein the transformation is performed by introducing, into the cell, polynucleotides coding the modified collagen protein.

It was found that, by culturing human fibroblasts using a medium supplemented with TNF-α and IL-4, EPO productivity in the fibroblasts can be improved. As a result, fibroblasts having enhanced EPO productivity were found, and means for improving a state where EPO productivity is decreased, and means for treating renal disorder or renal anemia, using the cells were discovered.

The disclosure generally relates to methods for generating cardiac fibroblast cells from epicardial cardiac progenitor cells, populations of cardiac fibroblast cells and uses thereof.

Provided is a three-dimensional tissue, including: a first cellular region including cells of a first type; and a second cellular region including cells of a second type different from the first type, wherein the cells of the first type are cells that emit light by chemiluminescence, bioluminescence, or fluorescence in response to an external stimulus.

The present invention pertains to a method for creating reprogramed cells from somatic cells without gene introduction. The method includes a step (a) for culturing somatic cells in a medium containing a histone deacetylase inhibitor, and a step (b) for culturing the cells cultured in step (a) in a medium containing an OCT3/4 transcription stimulating factor to create reprogrammed cells.

In some aspects, disclosed herein are methods and compositions for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease using fibroblasts or derivatives thereof. Disclosed herein are compositions having tolerogenic properties. Compositions of the present disclosure include fibroblasts, activated fibroblasts, fibroblast apoptotic bodies, and fibroblast exosomes. Methods of the present disclosure include, in some cases, providing fibroblasts or derivatives thereof to a subject to treat an inflammatory bowel disease. In some cases, dendritic cells are cultured with fibroblasts and provided to a subject to treat an inflammatory bowel disease.

Embodiments of the disclosure include methods of increasing the efficacy of a fibroblast cell therapy for any medical condition, including degenerative disc disease, by providing at least one anti-inflammatory composition, exosomes and/or apoptotic bodies, stem cells, or a combination thereof; and administering the fibroblast cell therapy. The anti-inflammatory composition may comprise a composition that inhibits and/or reduces TNF-alpha, such as melatonin.

The present disclosure relates to methods of preparing cell-based products for human consumption, in particular, from populations of such cell types as hepatocytes, adipocytes, myoblasts, and/or fibroblasts.