A method of differentiating pluripotent stem cells into hemangioblasts comprising incubating the pluripotent stem cells in a first serum-free differentiation medium comprising bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stem cell factor (SCF) to induce differentiation of the pluripotent stem cells into hemangioblasts or hemangioblast-containing embryoid bodies is provided. The hemangioblasts or embryoid bodies may be cultured in a second differentiation medium comprising at el least granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) for a period of time sufficient to generate alveolar-like macrophages.

The present invention relates to a method of producing an enriched preparation of hemogenic endothelial progenitor cells. This method involves providing a population of pluripotent stem cells and inducing expression of a SOXF transcription factor in the pluripotent stem cells of the population. The method further involves culturing the population of pluripotent stem cells expressing the SOXF transcription factor, whereby the enriched preparation of hemogenic endothelial progenitor cells is produced as a result of said culturing. The present invention also relates to a method of producing an enriched preparation of hematopoietic progenitor cells and methods of treating a subject having a condition mediated by a loss or dysfunction of hematopoietic stem cells or by a loss of immune cells.

It is a subject to provide a means of preparing highly pure vascular endothelial progenitor cells in a simple and low-cost manner. It is also a subject to provide a method for efficiently proliferating vascular endothelial progenitor cells. High-purity vascular endothelial progenitor cells are prepared by the process of differentiating pluripotent stem cells into vascular endothelial progenitor cells and purifying the vascular endothelial progenitor cells using a difference in adhesion ability between the vascular endothelial progenitor cells constituting the cell population obtained in the process and other cells. On the other hand, vascular endothelial progenitor cells are cultured and expanded in the presence of a ROCK inhibitor, a GSK-3β inhibitor, and a TGF-β receptor inhibitor in addition to basic fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor.

Disclosed herein are methods of producing a population of venous angioblast cells from stem cells using a venous angioblast inducing media and optionally isolating a CD34+ population from the cell population comprising the venous angioblast cells, for example using a CD34 affinity reagent, CD31 affinity reagent and/or CD144 affinity reagent, optionally with or without a CD73 affinity reagent as well as methods of further differentiating the venous angioblasts in vitro to produce SEC-LCs and/or in vivo to produce SECs. Uses of the cells and compositions comprising the cells are also described.

The present invention relates to a method for producing endothelial cells, including carrying out: (a) inducing a population of mesoderm-lineage cells containing endothelial progenitor cells from pluripotent stem cells without forming an embryoid body; and (b) culturing the population of mesoderm-lineage cells containing endothelial progenitor cells in the presence of RepSox, in this order. According to the present invention, endothelial cells with high quality can be efficiently produced from pluripotent stem cells. The endothelial cells obtained by the method of the present invention are useful for the production of, for example, a myocardial sheet, and expected to be utilized in the treatment of a heart disease. A myocardial sheet can be produced by mixing the endothelial cells obtained by the method of the present invention with myocardial cells and mural cells and culturing the cells.

The invention relates to culturing brain endothelial cells, and optionally astrocytes and neurons in a fluidic device under conditions whereby the cells mimic the structure and function of the blood brain barrier. Culture of such cells in a microfluidic device, whether alone or in combination with other cells, drives maturation and/or differentiation further than existing systems.

The invention features compositions featuring (a) one or more of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and human C-terminal CTGF peptide; and (b) one or more of insulin and IGF-1; and methods of using such compositions to reduce cardiac tissue damage associated with an ischemic event or to enhance engraftment of a cell in a cardiac tissue.

The invention provides methods, compositions, uses and kits relating to exosomes isolated from progenitor cells.

Provided herein are human arterial endothelial cell-seeded polymeric vascular grafts suitable for replacing or bypassing natural blood vessels and exhibiting increased long term patency rates and reduced leukocyte adhesion relative to grafts comprising venous endothelial cells. Methods for generating the human arterial endothelial cell-seeded vascular grafts and therapeutic uses of the same are also described.

The present invention generally relates to novel mesoderm-derived vascular progenitor cells (meso-VPCs) and methods of producing the meso-VPCs. The present invention also relates to methods of treating a vascular disease, such as critical limb ischemia, by administering the meso-VPCs into a subject.