A method of assessing an anti-cancer drug including culturing a cell structure including cancer cells and stromal cells in a presence of at least one anti-cancer drug, and assessing an anti-cancer effect of the at least one anti-cancer drug based on a number of viable cancer cells in the cell structure after the culturing.

The present invention relates to cell-based methods for determining the biological activity of defibrotide. In particular, the invention provides a method for assessing the potency of defibrotide by assessing the viability of mammalian cells in the presence of at least one cytotoxic agent and one or more concentrations of defibrotide. Such methods are particularly useful for standardizing pharmaceutical compositions comprising defibrotide.

Methods of preparing a crosslinked hydraulic fracturing fluid include combining a hydraulic fracturing fluid comprising a polyacrylamide polymer with a plurality of coated proppants. The plurality of coated proppants include a proppant particle and a resin proppant coating on the proppant particle. The resin proppant coating includes resin and a zirconium oxide crosslinker. The resin includes at least one of phenol, furan, epoxy, urethane, phenol-formaldehyde, polyester, vinyl ester, and urea aldehyde. Methods further include allowing the zirconium oxide crosslinker within the resin proppant coating to crosslink the polyacrylamide polymer within the hydraulic fracturing fluid at a pH of at least 10, thereby forming the crosslinked hydraulic fracturing fluid.

The present disclosure relates to a method for obtaining human brain-like endothelial cells by contacting a population of cells isolated from stem cells with a differentiation medium to obtain endothelial cells and co-culturing said endothelial cells with pericytes, with cells of the neurovascular unit or with a pericytes conditioned medium, to obtain brain-like endothelial cells. The present disclosure also relates to the use of the brain-like endothelial cells as an in vitro model of human blood-brain barrier and a kit for measuring blood-brain barrier permeability of a substance, comprising in vitro human endothelial cells.

In one aspect, provided is a composition (biomimetic composition) that includes a biomimetic in vitro model of an arteriolar vessel comprising: at least one of 1) human smooth muscle cells and 2) human pulmonary endothelial cells; wherein the vessel recapitulates one or more of the overall tubular geometry, morphometrics, extracellular matrix constituents, cellular morphology, cellular alignment, and functional heterotypic connections between the human smooth muscle cells and/or the human endothelial cells as compared to an in vivo arteriolar vessel. A microfluidics-based model platform of the pulmonary circulation is provided. Methods of use include measuring flow in biomimetic vessels, and to determine the resistance of these biomimetic vessels in the setting of a variety of experimental conditions that recapitulate the pathobiology of pulmonary hypertension.

Methods of screening rinse-off personal care compositions can include the use of explant skin in combination with measurements for moisture and/or cell proliferation.

According to one embodiment, a method includes determining that a size of video data associated with a recording operation at a first recording device exceeds an amount of available storage space; selecting previously-stored video data for transfer to a second device; transferring the selected video data from the first recording device to the second device; and deleting the selected video data from the first recording device.

Disclosed is a cell structure comprising: a fragmented extracellular matrix component; and cells, wherein the cell structure comprises an intercellular vascular network, and the cells comprise at least adipocytes and vascular endothelial cells.

The present invention provides methods for the identification, isolation and/or enrichment of human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs). In some embodiments, the method comprises a positive selection process in which a cell population containing human corneal cells is contacted with a positive affinity reagent that selectively binds to HCECs relative to cells other than HCECs (e.g., corneal keratocytes, etc.) in the population and/or a negative selection process in which a cell population containing HCECs is contacted with a negative affinity reagent that selectively binds to cells other than HCECs in the population relative to HCECs. The present invention also provides reagents and kits for the identification, isolation and/or enrichment of HCECs as well as compositions that are enriched in HCECs.

A bioreactor and methods for use can include a microfibrous scaffold, that can be made of a composite bioink, and that can have endothelial cells directly embedded within the scaffold using an additive manufacturing process. The scaffold can further be seeded with cardiomyocytes. The hydrogel scaffold can be composed of a plurality of serpentine layers, with each serpentine layers, which can be placed on each other in a cross-hatch configuration, so that the primary axes of successive layers are perpendicular. This configuration can establish an aspect ratio for the scaffold, which can be selectively varied. For greater strength, the successive layers that have a primary axis in the same direction can be placed in the scaffold so that they are slight offset from each other. The scaffold can be placed in the bioreactor with perfusion, for use in cardiovascular drug screening and other nanomedicine endeavors.