The present invention concerns enriched heterogeneous mammalian renal cell populations characterized by biomarkers, and methods of making and using the same.

The invention described herein provides a recombinant replication-defective vims derived from Herpesvirales order, wherein the virus is characterized by a complete deletion of a gene encoding ICP27, or a functional equivalent gene thereof. The invention also provides production cell lines for such recombinant replication-defective vims, wherein the cell lines have a coding sequence for ICP27 or a functional equivalent thereof, and wherein the coding sequence has no or minimal sequence overlap with the virus characterized by the complete deletion of the gene encoding ICP27. Method of using such recombinant replication-defective vims and production cell lines are also provided.

Methods of making a biologically active three-dimensional scaffold capable of supporting growth and differentiation of a cell are described. Biologically active three-dimensional scaffold made by the methods of the invention and an engineered tissue made from the scaffolds are described. Fibers of desired porosity can be obtained from non-structural ECM by lyophilization and/or electrospinning which can be useful for numerous tissue engineering applications requiring complex scaffolds, such as wound healing, artificial skin (burns), soft tissue replacement/repair and spinal cord injury.

The invention pertains to a novel cell line, an HIV tat-rev dependent GFP-Gaussia luciferase Reporter cell line, known henceforth as the GGR cell line, that detects pseudotype and replication competent HIV (cloned or uncloned isolates, in cell media or human serum) rapidly and with high sensitivity. This GGR cell line provides an improved method of characterizing the entry phenotype of HIV envelope genes, and detecting and examining primary HIV samples in the context of laboratory research, clinical trial monitoring, and medical diagnostics. Examples include, but are not limited to, determining the functional HIV viral load, responsiveness to treatment, characterization of viral co-receptor usage (testing for viral co-receptor usage, i.e., CCR5 vs CXCR4, as required prior to prescribing FDA-approved CCR5 inhibitors), and characterization of other viral or drug resistance phenotypic properties to guide treatment.

A method of reprogramming a differentiated renal cell towards a progenitor phenotype is disclosed. The method comprises up-regulating in the differentiated renal cell an expression of at least one pluripotency associated gene and/or at least one renal stem cell associated gene, thereby reprogramming the differentiated renal cell towards a progenitor phenotype. Cell populations generated thereby and uses thereof are also disclosed.

Methods of treating kidney disease and protecting podocytes from injury are provided. Methods of screening agents for the treatment of kidney disease are also provided. In addition, methods of identifying structural or functional defects in a patient's podocytes and methods of identifying kidney disease causing agents in a patient's biological sample are also provided.

The present invention provides an artificial kidney precursor containing a non-human mammalian metanephros separated out from a living body, wherein the metanephros has been subjected to freezing and thawing treatments outside a living body, and contains mammalian mesenchymal stem cells transferred outside a living body, and a method of production thereof.

The present invention relates to a new method for rescuing an influenza virus and a composition therefor. The method comprises providing a host cell stably integrated with and expressing influenza virus PA, PB1, PB2 and NP genes, and introducing an influenza virus rescue system in which a stop codon is introduced into the PA, PB1, PB2 and NP genes respectively into the host cell to achieve virus rescue. The produced virus particles can be used as a live attenuated influenza vaccine, which is characterized in that, since the genes encoding the related proteins are mutated, it has no replication and proliferation ability in human and normal animal cells, and replication and proliferation can be achieved only in the host cells constructed above and it can fully stimulate the body immunity and effectively protect the body while ensuring the safety.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for producing immortalized, cystogenic, single cyst-derived cells from a polycystic kidney. Populations of immortalized, cystogenic, single cyst-derived cells from a polycystic kidney are also provided.

The invention relates to methods of altering expression of a genomic locus of interest or specifically targeting a genomic locus of interest in an animal cell, which may involve contacting the genomic locus with a non-naturally occurring or engineered composition that includes a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) binding polypeptide having a N-terminal capping region, a DNA binding domain comprising at least five or more Transcription activator-like effector (TALE) monomers and at least one or more half-monomers specifically ordered to target the genomic locus of interest, and a C-terminal capping region, wherein the polypeptide includes at least one or more effector domains, and wherein the polypeptide is encoded by and translated from a codon optimized nucleic acid molecule so that the polypeptide preferentially binds to the DNA of the genomic locus.