Systems and methods to characterize dimerization interfaces at the subdomain level of a protein are provided. An exemplary method includes digesting a protein dimer sample into subdomains, labeling the digested protein sample, isolating labeled dimeric and monomeric subdomain fragments, and peptide mapping the labeled sample to determine where the dimer fragments are labeled and where the dimer fragments are not labeled. Regions that show decreased labeling extents in the dimer fraction than that in the monomer fraction are likely involved or in close proximity to the dimerization interface.

An oral dissolving film containing nano- or micro-encapsulated bioactive material and methods of forming the film. The film may be prepared by dispensing a mixture of a film-forming agent, a crosslinking agent, a solution of nano- or micro-encapsulated bioactive material, and a photoinitiator into a plurality of wells in a tray using a 3D printer. The dispensed material is exposed to radiation in order to crosslink the material and form a film.

There is provided an in vitro three dimensional cell construct for use as a model of the avian intestine derived from avian intestinal tissue comprising avian cells organised into intestinal villi and crypts. Suitably the construct comprises an exterior surface that mimics the apical surface of a chicken intestine. Also provided are methods of making the cell construct and use of the construct as an in vitro intestinal model system to examine an agent including, but not limited to a microbe, a vaccine, a pharmaceutical, a feed additive, a toxin, a pre-biotic, post-biotic, pre pro post biotic, therapeutic, a cell, gene construct, protein, immune-modulator, an intestinal effector agent, a candidate intestinal effector agent, cell signalling inhibitor, or cell signalling activator.

The invention concerns novel methods and materials for preparing extracellular matrix (ECM) powder pre-gel and gel solutions, for example for use in organoid culture. The ECM gels demonstrate excellent physiological and mechanical properties while having the proteomic signature of endoderm tissue with specific enrichment of key ECM proteins relevant to organoid formation.

An amplifying method of pancreatic cells is provided. The amplifying method includes performing digestion, resuspension, discontinuous density gradient centrifugation treatment and amplifying treatment sequentially. The mammalian pancreatic duct is used as the source of pancreatic precursor-like cells in the amplifying method, and islet cells and acinar cells in the cell clusters obtained by the discontinuous density gradient centrifugation treatment are removed. It is beneficial to improve the yield of the pancreatic precursor-like cells availably, and avoid the ethical restrictions and possible carcinogenic risks caused by using the embryonic stem cells. The amplifying medium used comprises a reprogramming substance composed of several small molecule compounds. It can avoid the risks of non-specific and off-target deletion that are easily caused by the use of the gene-editing methods to change the gene sequence. Also provided is a differentiation method and an application of the pancreatic precursor-like cells obtained by the amplifying method.

The disclosure relates to double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) compositions targeting the UGT1a1 gene, and methods of using such dsRNA compositions to alter (e.g., inhibit) expression of UGT1a1.

Provided is a culture medium containing amphiregulin for culturing primary breast epithelial cells and a culture method involving using the medium. In the culturing method, primary cells are cultured on a culture vessel coated with an extracellular matrix gel by using the culture medium, and the primary cells grow on the culture vessel, which has been coated with the extracellular matrix gel, and proliferate rapidly under the combined action of nutrient factors and an extracellular matrix contained in the primary cell culture medium. The cell model obtained by the primary cell culture medium and the primary cell culture method can be used for the evaluating the efficacy of and screening drugs.

The subject matter described herein is directed to methods of producing decellularized and recellularized human prostate tissues and methods of treating disorders of a prostate, including BPH and prostate cancer, are disclosed. Prostate tissue engineering and the composition and construction of a prostate extracellular matrix (ECM) or a prostate tissue scaffold and interactions with its cellular components are also disclosed.

The present invention provides: an assay method that uses a compound represented by formula (I) as a fluorescent probe molecule and that is for detecting the lipid peroxidation suppression activity of a test compound; an assay kit that uses the assay method; a screening method that uses the assay method; and a pharmaceutical composition that is for the treatment, etc. of diseases (such as age-related macular degeneration) that are induced by lipid peroxidation reactions. ##STR00001##

Provided are a composition and a sheet, including a mesenchymal stem cells-hydrogel-biodegradable support or a mesenchymal stem cells-hydrogel-nondegradable support and a preparing method thereof. More specifically, in the sheet including a mesenchymal stem cells-hydrogel-biodegradable support or a mesenchymal stem cells-hydrogel-nondegradable support according to the present invention, the high-active mesenchymal stem cells may be applied to a wounded part of a patient with epidermolysis bullosa as it is without isolation using proteases, and in the culturing, an extracellular matrix such as collagen, laminin, fibronectin, and elastin secreted from the mesenchymal stem cells is wholly present on the hydrogel to have an advantageous effect that skin reproduction and re-epithelization abilities are significantly excellent as compared with conventional dressing agents used for epidermolysis bullosa.