Provided herein are methods, compositions of matter, and devices for treating diseases and illnesses of the eye, including retinal conditions such as macular degeneration.

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for Alzheimer's treatment containing as an active ingredient of late-stage human mesenchymal stem cells induced into glia-like cells (ghMSCs). When the glia-like cells differentiated from the late-stage human mesenchymal stem cells were co-cultured with neural stem cells having toxicity induced by amyloid beta, effects of increasing the reduced viability and proliferative potential of the neural stem cells and reducing the increased cytotoxicity of the neural stem cells were verified. In addition, the expression of inflammasomes is reduced, and effects of improving long-term memory with respect to spatial perception ability and enhancing spatial cognitive ability in Alzheimer-induced mouse models were verified. Therefore, the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can be advantageously used in Alzheimer's treatment.

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for Alzheimer's treatment containing as an active ingredient of late-stage human mesenchymal stem cells induced into glia-like cells (ghMSCs). When the glia-like cells differentiated from the late-stage human mesenchymal stem cells were co-cultured with neural stem cells having toxicity induced by amyloid beta, effects of increasing the reduced viability and proliferative potential of the neural stem cells and reducing the increased cytotoxicity of the neural stem cells were verified. In addition, the expression of inflammasomes is reduced, and effects of improving long-term memory with respect to spatial perception ability and enhancing spatial cognitive ability in Alzheimer-induced mouse models were verified. Therefore, the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can be advantageously used in Alzheimer's treatment.

Disclosed herein are methods of delivering an agent to a subject. Further disclosed herein are methods of treating a disease or disorder in a subject. The methods may include administering to the subject a chondroitinase polypeptide or a polynucleotide encoding a chondroitinase polypeptide in an amount sufficient to degrade glycosaminoglycans, and administering to the subject the agent. The methods may further include administering a hyaluronidase polypeptide or a polynucleotide encoding a hyaluronidase.

Disclosed herein are methods of delivering an agent to a subject. Further disclosed herein are methods of treating a disease or disorder in a subject. The methods may include administering to the subject a chondroitinase polypeptide or a polynucleotide encoding a chondroitinase polypeptide in an amount sufficient to degrade glycosaminoglycans, and administering to the subject the agent. The methods may further include administering a hyaluronidase polypeptide or a polynucleotide encoding a hyaluronidase.

The present invention includes a functionalized nerve guidance conduit (NGC), methods of making neurotrophic factor-expressing neural crest stem-like cells (NCSC) and/or Schwann cell precursor-like (SCP) cells, methods of making the functionalized nerve guidance conduit, and methods of treating nerve injury using the functionalized nerve guidance conduit.

The present invention includes a functionalized nerve guidance conduit (NGC), methods of making neurotrophic factor-expressing neural crest stem-like cells (NCSC) and/or Schwann cell precursor-like (SCP) cells, methods of making the functionalized nerve guidance conduit, and methods of treating nerve injury using the functionalized nerve guidance conduit.

A solubilized notochordal cell matrix powder dissolved in a carrier solvent or formed as a gel is provided. The notochordal cell matrix powder originates from lyophilized and treated porcine nucleus pulposus tissue containing notochordal cells. The powder contains less than 20% of porcine nucleid acids, and the powder contains a substantially unchanged amount of porcine protein content compared to the originating porcine nucleus pulposus tissue. The solubilized notochordal cell matrix powder is capable of stimulating native or stem cells to proliferate and produce a significant increase inglycosaminoglycansand type-II collagen matrix. Embodiments of the invention can be used for the disc regenerative treatment of discogenic back and neck pain in an orthopaedic and/or pharmaceutical setting/approach.

A solubilized notochordal cell matrix powder dissolved in a carrier solvent or formed as a gel is provided. The notochordal cell matrix powder originates from lyophilized and treated porcine nucleus pulposus tissue containing notochordal cells. The powder contains less than 20% of porcine nucleid acids, and the powder contains a substantially unchanged amount of porcine protein content compared to the originating porcine nucleus pulposus tissue. The solubilized notochordal cell matrix powder is capable of stimulating native or stem cells to proliferate and produce a significant increase inglycosaminoglycansand type-II collagen matrix. Embodiments of the invention can be used for the disc regenerative treatment of discogenic back and neck pain in an orthopaedic and/or pharmaceutical setting/approach.

Provided is a method for preventing or treating a retinal degenerative disease, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof human neural crest-derived nasal inferior turbinate stem cells as an active ingredient, in which the stem cells are differentiated into rod photoreceptor cells among photoreceptor cells expressing rhodopsin and prevent or treat a retinal degenerative disease including age-related macular degeneration.