The invention discloses a methodology for the biomimetic culture of urothelial cells from mammalian bladders, including murine, porcine, bovine and human sources to isolate and expand urothelial cells for use in various applications, such as intravesical urothelial cell therapy to treat cystitis and bladder cancer.

Provided herein are urine progenitor cells and methods for producing a culture of urine progenitor cells from a urine sample. The cells may be selected based upon the use of a selective cell medium, based upon morphology, and/or by selecting cell-specific markers. Also provided is an isolated urine progenitor cell that is c-kit positive and can differentiate into urothelium, smooth muscle, endothelium or interstitial cells. Methods of use of urine progenitor cells are provided, wherein cell are seeded onto a tissue scaffold are provided. Methods of treating a subject in need thereof are also provided, including providing a bladder tissue substrate that includes differentiated UPCs and transplanting the substrate into the patient. Finally, kits are provided that include a container suitable for the transport of a urine sample; media; one or more antibiotics; a package for holding said container, media, and antibiotics; and optionally, instructions for use.

The present invention relates to a culture media system that is useful for the isolation and epigenetically stable propagation of normal stem cells in culture, wherein the stem cells are derived from stratified epithelial tissues and cancer stem cells from epithelial cancers. In certain embodiments, the culture system is a feeder-free system.

The invention described herein relates to methods of isolating non-embryonic stem cell, e.g., adult stem cell, from a non-embryonic tissue, e.g., an adult tissue or organ. Non-embryonic stem cells (e.g., adult stem cells) thus isolated from the various tissues or organs can self-renew or propagate indefinitely in vitro, are multipotent and can differentiate into the various differentiated cell types normally found within the tissue or organ from which the stem cells are isolated. In addition, the isolated stem cells can be propagated through clonal expansion of a single isolated stem cell, to produce a clone of which at least about 40%, 70%, or 90% or more cells within the clone can be further passaged as single cell originated clones.

The invention described herein relates to methods of isolating non-embryonic stem cell, e.g., adult stem cell, from a non-embryonic tissue, e.g., an adult tissue or organ. Non-embryonic stem cells (e.g., adult stem cells) thus isolated from the various tissues or organs can self-renew or propagate indefinitely in vitro, are multipotent and can differentiate into the various differentiated cell types normally found within the tissue or organ from which the stem cells are isolated. In addition, the isolated stem cells can be propagated through clonal expansion of a single isolated stem cell, to produce a clone of which at least about 40%, 70%, or 90% or more cells within the clone can be further passaged as single cell originated clones.

Provided herein are methods of treating a subject in need of treatment for a urological condition including administering urine stem cells to said subject in a treatment effective amount; and, in conjunction therewith, administering growth factors to said subject in an amount effective to promote differentiation of said stem cells into skeletal muscle cells. Compositions useful for the same are also provided.

The invention discloses a methodology for the culture of bladder cell lines and organoids from human bladder, both non-cancerous as well as cancer tissue.

Disclosed herein is a method for selecting a subject for bladder cancer therapy based on determining from the sample from a subject with bladder cancer, the presence, absence, or level of a biomarker that correlates with interleukin 18 binding protein (IL-18 BP) expression by bladder cells from a subject. Also disclosed herein are compositions comprising an effective amount of at least one of interleukin 18 (IL-18) and an inhibitor of IL-18 binding protein (IL-18 BP), wherein the inhibitor causes at least one of reduces binding of IL-18 BP to IL-18 and reduces IL-18 BP levels. The compositions may be used in methods for treating bladder cancer, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of at least one of IL-18, an inhibitor of IL-18 BP, an antagonist of an activator of IL-18 BP, and an agonist of a down-regulator of IL-18 BP.

The present invention relates to: an organ-on-a-chip for mimicking kidney tissue in which renal tubular epithelial cells and renal fibroblasts are co-cultured; a method for manufacturing the organ-on-a-chip; a device for co-culturing three types of cells; and a method for screening for renal fibrosis therapeutic agents by using the organ-on-a-chip. A kidney-on-a-chip according to one embodiment of the present invention has the excellent effects of enabling the time and errors required in screening for renal fibrosis therapeutic agents to be minimized and renal fibrosis therapeutic agents to be more conveniently and simply screened for through an objective evaluation index.