Compositions comprising a condensed mesenchymal cell body and a hydrogel are provided. The compositions may further include drugs or growth factors. The condensed mesenchymal cell body may include a connective tissue cell, or even a progenitor cell capable of producing connective tissue extracellular matrices such collagen and glycosaminoglycan. Also provided are methods of treating connective tissue defects, cartilage injury, and cartilage degradation.

Microvesicles produced by stem cells grown on a silk scaffold for enhancing stem cell self-renewal/proliferation and promoting tenogenesis in damaged tendons, and their use in tendon wound repair and tendinopathy treatment. Also provided are compositions containing the microvesicles and devices for obtaining them.

The present invention relates to a method for isolating umbilical cord-derived stem cells, and more specifically to a method for isolating a significantly large number of mesenchymal stem cells from the umbilical cord having a specified size. The method of the present invention has a great advantage in that since stem cells can be isolated from an umbilical cord tissue without enzymatic treatment, stress applied to the cells can be significantly suppressed. In addition, stem cells obtained by the method of the present invention have superior proliferative capacity compared to stem cells obtained by conventional isolation methods.

The present disclosure relates to a novel musculoskeletal stem cell (MSSC) differentiated from an ESC (embryonic stem cell) or an iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cell). The musculoskeletal stem cell of the present disclosure can be easily induced from a human embryonic stem cell or a human-derived pluripotent stem cell and can be effectively differentiated not only into bone but also into cartilage, tendon and muscle. Accordingly, it can be usefully used for prevention or treatment of various musculoskeletal diseases.

The current invention concerns a cell medium for in vitro inducing chondrogenesis or tenogenesis in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The medium includes a glucose medium supplemented with at least one growth factor. The growth factor is selected from fibroblast growth factors (FGF) or transforming growth factors (TGF). FGF or TGF is present in a total concentration of between 1 and 15 ng/ml. In both cases, IGF can be added to enhance the induction process. In a further aspect, the invention provides for a use of such cell medium as well as a method for inducing isolated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and a cell composition obtained by such method.

The invention relates to implantable collagen devices made by seeding at least one elongate collagen construct, e.g., comprising at least one elongate synthetic collagen fiber with a plurality of cells and applying a strain and/or stress to the at least one elongate collagen fiber to induce the cells to differentiate into target phenotypes, e.g., tendon or ligament phenotype cells (and/or fibroblasts), typically with an extracellular matrix of collagen to organize into a tissue on the at least one collagen fiber.

A cell medium for in vitro inducing chondrogenesis or tenogenesis in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The medium is a glucose medium supplemented with at least one growth factor is chosen from the group of fibroblast growth factors (FGF) or the group of transforming growth factors (TGF), and the FGF or TGF is present in a total concentration of between 1 and 15 ng/ml. In both cases, IGF can be added to enhance the induction process. The use of the cell medium, a method for inducing isolated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and a cell composition obtained by the method are also provided.

A method is disclosed for coating and patterning hydrogels in order to modify surface properties. The method exploits the water content of the hydrogel and the hydrophobicity of the reaction solvent to create a thin oxide adhesion layer on the hydrogel surface. This oxide adhesion layer enables rapid transformation of the hydrophilic, cell non-adhesive hydrogel into either a highly hydrophobic or a cell-adhesive hydrogel by reaction with an alkylphosphonic acid or an ,-diphosphonoalkane, respectively. Also disclosed are coated, patterned hydrogels and constructs comprising the coated, patterned hydrogels.

The present disclosure relates to a novel musculoskeletal stem cell (MSSC) differentiated from an ESC (embryonic stem cell) or an iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cell). The musculoskeletal stem cell of the present disclosure can be easily induced from a human embryonic stem cell or a human-derived pluripotent stem cell and can be effectively differentiated not only into bone but also into cartilage, tendon and muscle. Accordingly, it can be usefully used for prevention or treatment of various musculoskeletal diseases.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods utilizing hair follicle derived Non-Bulbar Dermal Sheath cells for use in the treatment or prevention of the tendon injuries.