Compositions, devices and methods are described for improving adhesion, attachment, and/or differentiation of cells in a microfluidic device or chip. In one embodiment, one or more ECM proteins are covalently coupled to the surface of a microchannel of a microfluidic device. The microfluidic devices can be stored or used immediately for culture and/or support of living cells such as mammalian cells, and/or for simulating a function of a tissue, e.g., a liver tissue, muscle tissue, etc. Extended adhesion and viability with sustained function over time is observed.

The present invention relates to a compound for use in a method of reducing the formation of heliocytes causing adhesiogenesis. An in vitro assay for the formation of heliocyte and/or the formation of adhesions is also comprised herein, as well as methods comprising the use of said in vitro assay. It also relates to a pharmaceutical composition for use in a method of reducing the formation of heliocytes comprising the compound mentioned above.

A device for measuring a tension of a cell structure containing muscle cells includes a first and a second gel adaptor holder. The first gel adaptor holder includes a frame member and a first gel holding portion which is disposed protrudingly from a part of an inner surface of the frame member for fixing one end of a gel. The second gel adaptor holder includes a second gel holding portion that fixes another end of the gel, and connecting members connected with the second gel holding portion. A kit including the device, a substrate and a gel forming cover. The substrate includes a pair of gel shaping convex parts fitted along the inner surface of the frame member. The gel forming cover includes a surface parallel to a gel contacting surface of the substrate, in order to form an upper surface of the gel.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptides are provided. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptides include peptide sequences corresponding to the sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 fusion complex heptad repeat domain HR2 and having at least one artificial mutation. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptides may be 39-mers, such as peptides #121 (SEQ ID NO: 2) and #125 (SEQ ID NO: 5). These peptides may competitively bind to SARS-CoV-2 and prevent either membrane mediated SARS-CoV-2 fusion, endocytosis-mediated viral entry, or both. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptides may be administered to a subject in need thereof to inhibit or prevent SARS-CoV-2 cellular entry.

Human pluripotent stem cells are differentiated in vitro into oligodendro-spheroids comprising oligodendrocytes for use in analysis, screening programs, and the like.

The present disclosure provides methods, systems, and kits for processing nucleic acid molecules. A method may comprise providing a template nucleic acid fragment (e.g., within a cell, cell bead, or cell nucleus) within a partition (e.g., a droplet or well) and subjecting the template nucleic acid fragment to one or more processes including a barcoding process and a single primer extension or amplification process. The processed template nucleic acid fragment may then be recovered from the partition and subjected to further amplification to provide material for subsequent sequencing analysis. The methods provided herein may permit simultaneous processing and analysis of both DNA and RNA molecules originating from the same cell, cell bead, or cell nucleus.

A novel macroscale, contactless, label-free method to print in situ three-dimensional (3D) particle assemblies of different morphologies and sizes is demonstrated using non-adherent (blood) and adherent (MCF-7 and HUVEC) cells. This method of manipulating particles such as cells or biological moleules does not necessarily require the use of nozzles that can contaminate the cell suspension, or to which cells can adhere. Instead, the intrinsic diamagnetic properties of particles such as cells are used to magnetically manipulate them in situ in a nontoxic paramagnetic medium, creating various shapes such as (a) rectangular bar, (b) three-pointed star, and (c) spheroids of varying sizes. A normal distribution of 3D cell structures is produced when formed through magnetic assembly. The use of this method in co-culturing of different cell lines is also demonstrated. The technique is envisioned to be transferable to other cell lines or diamagnetic biological molecules, with potential applications in tissue engineering, medical diagnostics and drug screening.

An in vitro assay for inducing extracellular trap (ET) formation, including contacting immune cells, in in vitro culture or within a biological sample, with immobilized human polyvalent immunoglobulins; and to uses thereof, in particular in an in vitro method for screening a drug for its ability to modulate ET formation, in an in vitro method for assessing the susceptibility of a subject to ET formation, in an in vitro method for predicting the response of a subject to a modulator of ET formation, and in in vitro method for monitoring the response of a subject to an immunomodulator.

Compositions, devices and methods are described for improving adhesion, attachment, and/or differentiation of cells in a microfluidic device or chip. In one embodiment, one or more ECM proteins are covalently coupled to the surface of a microchannel of a microfluidic device. The microfluidic devices can be stored or used immediately for culture and/or support of living cells such as mammalian cells, and/or for simulating a function of a tissue, e.g., a liver tissue, muscle tissue, etc. Extended adhesion and viability with sustained function over time is observed.

Compositions, devices and methods are described for improving adhesion, attachment, and/or differentiation of cells in a microfluidic device or chip. In one embodiment, one or more ECM proteins are covalently coupled to the surface of a microchannel of a microfluidic device. The microfluidic devices can be stored or used immediately for culture and/or support of living cells such as mammalian cells, and/or for simulating a function of a tissue, e.g., a liver tissue, muscle tissue, etc. Extended adhesion and viability with sustained function over time is observed.