Provided are methods for improving cell-based therapies by co-administration with an agent that increases the production and or levels of epoxygenated fatty acids, as well as kits, stents and patches for co-administering stem cells with an agent that increases the production and/or levels of epoxygenated fatty acids.

Described herein are various systems, methods, and apparatus for systematic creation of isolated homogeneous colonies of cells from vector-based lineages. The vector-based lineages may originate from multiple types of viral vector families (e.g., Paramyx-oviridae, Retroviridae, Parvoviridae) or non-natural engineered vectors or a plurality of vector combinations, for example. In certain embodiments, the isolated homogeneous colonies of cells are vector-free sub-colonies; in other embodiments, the isolated homogeneous colonies of cells are homogeneous vector sub-colonies. In other embodiments, vector mixed sub-colonies are created. The disclosed systems, methods, and apparatus are useful for inducible pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) production and work by selectively binding to one or more corresponding protein markers expressed on the surface of a cell that indicate that cellular reprogramming has occurred. Software is used to automate the purification and isolation of the iPSCs produced.

The present disclosure is directed to a method of treating a neuropsychiatric disorder. This method involves selecting a subject having the neuropsychiatric disorder and administering to the selected subject a preparation of glial progenitor cells at a dosage effective to treat the neuropsychiatric disorder in the subject. Another aspect of the disclosure is directed to a method of treating a neuropsychiatric disorder that includes selecting a subject having the neuropsychiatric disorder and administering, to the selected subject, a potassium (K.sup.+) channel activator at a dosage effective to restore normal brain interstitial glial K.sup.+ levels in the selected subject and treat the neuropsychiatric disorder is also disclosed.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for a suicide gene approach comprising an expression vector comprising a cell cycle-dependent promoter driving the expression of a suicide gene. Also provided herein are methods to render proliferative cells sensitive to a prodrug after transplantation but avoids expression of the suicide gene in post-mitotic cells, such as neurons.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for a suicide gene approach comprising an expression vector comprising a cell cycle-dependent promoter driving the expression of a suicide gene. Also provided herein are methods to render proliferative cells sensitive to a prodrug after transplantation but avoids expression of the suicide gene in post-mitotic cells, such as neurons.

Disclosed herein are methods of delivering a polypeptide, e.g., an antibody or antigen binding portion thereof, to the central nervous system of a subject, by administering to the subject the polypeptide (e.g., antibody or antigen-binding portion thereof) conjugated to the surface of an extracellular vesicle (EV) derived from a neural cell, e.g., a neural progenitor cell or a neural stem cell. Conjugates comprising neural EVs coupled to a polypeptide, such as an antibody or antigen binding portion thereof, and methods of use thereof, are also provided. Also disclosed herein are methods of delivering a polypeptide, e.g., an antibody or antigen binding portion thereof, by administering to the subject the polypeptide (e.g., antibody or antigen-binding portion thereof) loaded within the lumen of an extracellular vesicle (EV) derived from neural cells.

Methods, compositions and cells are provided that identify and isolate a population of adult non-embryonic progenitor cells having multilineage potential, physical diameters of about 2 μm to about 8 μm in size or about 4 μm to about 6 μm, and expressing at least one of the stem cell associated genes among Oct-4, KLF-4, Nanog, Sox-2, Rex-1, GDF-3 or Stella. Methods are also provided that identify and isolate populations, which are subsets or subpopulations of progenitor adult stem cells within the population of the adult stem cells which is a heterogeneous population, the methods including contacting the adult stem cells with a ligand specific for at least one of: CD99, tetraspan, ICAM4, full-length MUC1, and truncated MUC1 receptor, in which a presence of a surface protein on the cells that bind to the ligand identifies the population which is the subset of the differentiated progenitor adult stem cells.

Compositions and methods of use pertaining to exosomes, and more particularly to exosomes from pericytes and endothelial progenitor cells are presented.

The present invention relates to a method of treating acute or chronic systemic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) with extracellular vesicles, e.g., exosomes obtained from human cardiospheres or cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs), wherein systemic GVHD involves, e.g., at least two organs selected from the group consisting of the skin, mucosa, gastrointestinal tract, liver, lungs, joints and fascia, genitalia, and eyes. The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical formulation comprising extracellular vesicles, e.g., exosomes obtained from human cardiospheres or CDCs, for systemic administration, e.g., intravenous infusion, to a human subject in need of treatment of systemic GVHD.

The present invention relates to a method of treating acute or chronic systemic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) with extracellular vesicles, e.g., exosomes obtained from human cardiospheres or cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs), wherein systemic GVHD involves, e.g., at least two organs selected from the group consisting of the skin, mucosa, gastrointestinal tract, liver, lungs, joints and fascia, genitalia, and eyes. The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical formulation comprising extracellular vesicles, e.g., exosomes obtained from human cardiospheres or CDCs, for systemic administration, e.g., intravenous infusion, to a human subject in need of treatment of systemic GVHD.