The present invention provides a product comprising plated human hepatocytes on a surface and at least some of the plated hepatocytes are in one or more hepatocyte clusters on feeder cells, which are attached to the surface. A method of preparing plated human hepatocytes is also provided. The preparation method comprises applying human hepatocytes to a surface in the presence of feeder cells, co-culturing the applied hepatocytes with the feeder cells, and forming one or more hepatocyte clusters by the co-cultured hepatocytes on the feeder cells, which are attached to the surface. The plated hepatocytes may be used for various purposes, including the preparation of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected hepatocyte culture model and drug testing.

A perfusion manifold assembly is described that allows for perfusion of a microfluidic device, such as an organ on a chip microfluidic device comprising cells that mimic cells in an organ in the body, that is detachably linked with said assembly so that fluid enters ports of the microfluidic device from a fluid reservoir, optionally without tubing, at a controllable flow rate.

A culture module is contemplated that allows the perfusion and optionally mechanical actuation of one or more microfluidic devices, such as organ-on-a-chip microfluidic devices comprising cells that mimic at least one function of an organ in the body.

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

The present invention is directed to a mammalian-avian chimeric model system comprising a fertilized avian egg comprising a chorioallantoic membrane (CAM); and multiple types of mammalian cells dispersed in a hydrogel. Further provided is a method for preparing the system and a method of using the same.

Disclosed is a spheroid liver organoid comprising hepatic lineage cells such as human hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. Also provided are methods of using spheroid liver organoids for applications related to drug screening and toxicity screening. In particular, spheroid liver organoids are useful for high-throughput screens to identify compounds having efficacy for treating liver disease.

A three-dimensional (3D) cell culture system comprising: a solid porous polymeric support, preferably comprising a biocompatible polymer; a first type of cells bound to the solid porous polymeric support; and a biocompatible hydrogel comprising a second type of cells, wherein biocompatible hydrogel is in physical contact with the solid porous polymeric support, is described. Methods for preparing this 3D cell culture system, as well as uses of this system for example for anticancer drug screening, are also described.

Provided is a 3D human liver organ model constructing method, comprising: preparing human primary liver cells, or mixed cells of same and liver non-parenchymal cells, or human liver cancer cell lines into a single cell suspension, and mixing the single cell suspension with a matrix material to obtain a mixed cell suspension; inoculating the mixed cell suspension into cultivation micropores of a 3D organ-on-a-chip, and carrying out cultivation at 37° C. to obtain a gelled 3D organ-on-a-chip; adding a culture medium into liquid storage holes of the organ-on-a-chip, and carrying out cultivation to obtain a 3D human liver organ model. Compared with other 2D human liver organ models, the constructed 3D human liver organ model has significantly enhanced response sensitivity to hepatotoxic drugs, and shows stronger hepatotoxic damage effect for reported hepatotoxic drugs. Compared with an animal model, the 3D human liver organ model can effectively eliminate the screening difference caused by species difference.

This disclosure generally describes comestible cell-based food products including a combination of cultured cells and dry cell powder and methods for preparing such cell-based food products. In one or more embodiments, the comestible cell-based food product comprises a mixture of cultured animal cells and dry cultured animal cell powder. For example, the comestible cell-based food product is produced by generating a homogenous mixture of cultured animal cells and dry cultured animal cell powder. In one or more embodiments, the dry cultured animal cell powder improves the texture of the resultant comestible cell-based food product by tailoring the hardness and/or adhesiveness of the comestible cell-based food product.

Among the various aspects of the present disclosure is the provision of a media for cryopreserved cells and methods of making and using same. An aspect of the present disclosure provides for a cell media formulation comprising (e.g., for day 0) one or more components selected from: MCDB 131; Glutamax; P/S; BSA; Glucose; ZnSO4; an enzyme for digesting DNA (e.g., DNASE1); and/or an apoptosis inhibitor (e.g., BI-6C9).

The invention provides tissue culture system for primary cells (e.g. normal mammalian primary epithelial progenitors). This system includes: a) a serum-free, chemically defined cell culture media; and, b) methods for isolation and in vitro long-term propagation of primary cells (e.g. primary epithelial cells). Primary cells so isolated and cultured can be kept undifferentiated and proliferate for many weeks (>15 weeks) or population doubling (>35 PD) without senescence, or any detectable genetic alterations. Upon changing media/culture conditions, these cells can be induced to differentiate. The invention also provides methods to transform normal primary cells so cultured into “cancer stem cells.” The genetically defined cancer stem cell tumor model mimics the behavior of the disease closely, e.g., the cells are invasive, hormone responsive and metastatic when injected into mice. The tumor cells express genes that are specific to cancer stem cells identified in patient samples.