The invention provides that OSTERIX (a.k.a. SP7) is a marker for gastrointestinal stem cells and that OSTERIX is expressed widely and at elevated levels in human gastrointestinal tumors.

The present invention relates to a GRP78-derived peptide for screening highly efficient stem cells and the use thereof, and more particularly, to screening highly efficient stem cells using, as a marker, a GRP78-derived peptide capable of binding to the binding domain of GRP78 protein on the cell surface. According to the present invention, the GRP78-derived peptide comprising only a specific amino acid sequence capable of recognizing highly efficient stem cells, among the amino acid sequence of GRP78, makes it possible to screen only non-senescent young stem cells. In addition, when stem cells are treated with the GRP78-derived peptide or the GRP78-derived peptide is introduced into stem cells, the efficiency of the stem cells can be increased. Thus, the GRP78-derived peptide is useful for the production of stem cell therapy products having excellent efficacy.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cell population comprising safe adherent stem cells maintaining a normal karyotype and a method for producing the cell population, and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the cell population. According to the present invention, a production method of a cell population comprising adherent stem cells, comprising obtaining a cell population in which the proportion of KCNAB1-positive adherent stem cells in the cell population is 85% or more, is provided.

A blocking reagent for immunohistochemical staining containing succinylated BSA as an active ingredient.

An in vitro method for screening for candidate compounds for preventing and/or attenuating skin ageing, and/or hydrating skin, includes: a) contacting a test compound with a sample of papillary fibroblasts; b) measuring the expression of a gene selected from PDPN, CCRL1 and NTN1, in the papillary fibroblasts; and c) selecting compounds for which an activation of at least 1.5 fold of the expression of at least one of the genes is measured in the treated papillary fibroblasts compared with untreated papillary fibroblasts. Another in vitro method includes: a) contacting a test compound with a sample of reticular fibroblasts; b) measuring the expression of a gene selected from MGP, PPP1R14A and TGM2, in the reticular fibroblasts; and c) selecting compounds for which an activation of at most 1.0 fold of the expression of at least one of the genes is measured in the treated reticular fibroblasts compared with untreated reticular fibroblasts.

Antibodies and antigen-binding antibody fragments that bind to GPIIb/IIIa and chimeric polypeptides comprising these binding molecules are disclosed. Some of these antibodies and antigen-binding antibody fragments preferentially bind GPIIb/IIIa on activated platelets while others do not show a preference for binding GPIIb/IIIa on resting versus activated platelets. Some of these antibodies and antibody fragments do not inhibit the interaction of GPIIb/IIIa with fibrinogen, while some others do. The disclosed antibodies do not induce platelet activation. Some of these antibodies and antigen-binding antibody fragments are useful in targeting therapeutic agents such as clotting factors to platelets while others are useful in reducing platelet aggregation and/or thrombus formation.

The present invention relates to a method for detecting cell death using a luminescent compound; to the luminescent compounds for particular uses; to a kit comprising said compounds and to a protein. The method is applicable for detecting cell death, essentially regardless of the mechanism through which cell death occurred or is occurring and is therefore not limited e.g. to detecting cell death resulting from only one mechanism selected from apoptosis and necrosis.

This invention relates to devices and methods for purifying, detecting and using biological cells. A variety of cell types including viable tumor, stem, immune and sperm cells can be purified from a complex biological sample using a column, including a pipette tip column. Methods of the invention can aid research, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Purified viable cells can be detected on the column or eluted from the column and detected. Cells on a column can be used as a stationary phase for liquid chromatography. Cells may be removed, recovered and analyzed.

The present invention discloses an in vitro method for the generation of a cell composition comprising or consisting of ventral midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells from a cell composition comprising pluripotent and/or multipotent stem cells, the method comprising the steps of A) differentiating said pluripotent and/or multipotent stem cells into ventral dopaminergic progenitor cells, thereby generating a cell composition comprising ventral dopaminergic progenitor cells comprising ventral midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells and ventral hindbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells, and B) Enriching CD117 positive cells from said cell composition comprising ventral dopaminergic progenitor cells by using an antigen binding molecule specific for the CD117 antigen, thereby generating said cell composition comprising or consisting of ventral midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells. Cell compositions obtainable by said method are also disclosed.

There are provided methods, and devices for assaying for a binding interaction between a protein, such as a monoclonal antibody, produced by a cell, and a biomolecule. The method may include retaining the cell within a chamber having an aperture; exposing the protein produced by the cell to a capture substrate, wherein the capture substrate is in fluid communication with the protein produced by the cell and wherein the capture substrate is operable to bind the protein produced by the cell; flowing a fluid volume comprising the biomolecule through the chamber via said aperture, wherein the fluid volume is in fluid communication with the capture substrate; and determining a binding interaction between the protein produced by the cell and the biomolecule.