A cell culture carrier includes a first substrate. The first substrate has a plurality of wells on an upper surface and includes a porous body. The porous body has pores with an average pore diameter of 0.05 μm or more and 10 μm or less, and has a porosity of 25% or more and 50% or less. The first substrate has a thickness from a lowermost portion of the well to a lower surface of the substrate of 50 μm or more and 10 mm or less.

Disclosed are compositions comprising collagen covalently bound to particles, wherein covalent bonds are formed between reactive groups of the collagen and reactive groups of the particles, and wherein the particles have an average particle diameter ranging from 20 to 1000 nanometers. Also disclosed are various methods that utilize the compositions.

The present disclosure relates generally to methods and compositions useful in cell and tissue biology and therapeutics. In particular, an in vitro method for differentiating pluripotent stem cells into KDR.sup.+NCAM.sup.+APLNR.sup.+ mesoderm cells and/or SSEA5.sup.−KDR.sup.+NCAM.sup.+APLNR.sup.+ mesoderm cells is provided. The disclosed mesoderm cells may be used to generate blood vessels in vivo and/or further differentiated in vitro into endothelial colony forming cell-like cells (ECFC-like cells). Purified human cell populations of KDR.sup.+NCAM.sup.+APLNR.sup.+ mesoderm cells and ECFC-like cells are provided. Test agent screening and therapeutic methods for using the cell populations of the present disclosure are provided.

Provided is an immunologically compatible and reversible universal pluripotent stem cell or a derivative thereof. An inducible gene expression system and the expression sequence of at least one immunologically compatible molecule are introduced into the genome of the pluripotent stem cell or the derivative thereof. The immunologically compatible molecule is used to regulate the expression of immune response-related genes in the pluripotent stem cell or the derivative thereof. The expression of the immunologically compatible molecule is regulated by the inducible gene expression system. The described method can increase the immunological compatibility between a transplant and a recipient, and can simultaneously reversibly restore the antigen-presenting abilities of transplant cells.

Alveolar-like macrophages and a method for generating alveolar-like macrophages from hemangioblasts is provided. The method comprises the steps of: i) culturing the hemangioblasts in a hematopoietic-inducing medium comprising vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) for a sufficient period of time to generate macrophages, and ii) culturing the macrophages in an alveolar macrophage-inducing medium comprising granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and optionally macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), under suitable conditions and for a sufficient period of time to yield alveolar-like macrophages.

The present invention relates to the development and manufacturing of viral vaccines. In particular, the invention relates to the field of industrial production of viral vectors and vaccines, more in particular to the use of avian embryonic stem cells, preferably the EBx® cell line derived from duck embryonic stem cells, for the production of viral vectors and viruses. The invention is particularly useful for the industrial production of viral vaccines to prevent viral infection of humans and animals.

The present invention provides a method for inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into neural precursor cells, comprising culturing the pluripotent stem cells in the presence of a small, molecule BMP inhibitor, and induced neural precursor cells prepared by this method.

Disclosed herein are universal donor stem cells and related methods of their use and production. The universal donor stem cells disclosed herein are useful for overcoming the immune rejection in cell-based transplantation therapies. In certain embodiments, the universal donor stem cells disclosed herein do not express one or more MHC-I and MHC-II human leukocyte antigens. Similarly, in certain embodiments, the universal donor stem cells disclosed herein do not express one or more human leukocyte antigens (e.g., HLA-A, HLA-B and/or HLA-C) corresponding to MHC-I and MHC-II human leukocyte antigens, thereby rendering such cells hypoimmunogenic.

One or more type 7 long terminal repeat (LTR7) nucleic acid sequences of type H human endogenous retroviruses (HERVH) (“LTR7/HERVH nucleic acid sequences”) can be used for identifying primate naïve pluripotent stem cells. LTR7/HERVH-associated transcription can be used as a marker for primate naive pluripotent stem cells. A reporter construct that includes LTR7/HERVH nucleic acid sequences can be used for optimizing culture conditions for naïve primate pluripotent stem cells. A cell growth medium can be used for cultivation of primate naive pluripotent stem cells, which can exhibit elevated levels of LTR7/HERVH-associated transcription in comparison to control cells.

Disclosed herein are cell cultures comprising definitive endoderm cells and methods of producing the same. Also disclosed herein are cell populations comprising substantially purified definitive endoderm cells as well as methods for enriching, isolating and purifying definitive endoderm cells from other cell types.