The present invention relates to an ovarian-derived hydrogel material, which can be useful for three-dimensional in vitro culturing of cells, cell therapy, fertility preservation, drug delivery, site-specific remodeling and repair of damaged tissue, and/or diagnostic kits.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for selecting cells, an apparatus for selecting cells, and an apparatus system for selecting cells, which enables evaluation of a damage resistance of the cells in a suspension culture system. According to the present invention, provided is a method for selecting cells including introducing cells into a micro flow passage and allowing the cells to pass through the micro flow passage, evaluating a damage resistance of the cells to damage received by the cells due to passing through the micro flow passage, and selecting the cells based on the evaluation of the damage resistance.

An apparatus and method for inducing human oocyte maturation in vitro, the apparatus including: a computing device, wherein the computing device includes at least a processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least processor, the memory containing instructions configuring the at least processor to receive first biological sample data from a first biological sample relating to a user; assign the user to a stimulation protocol as a function of the first biological sample; receive second biological sample data from a second biological sample relating to the user wherein the second biological sample comprises at least an immature oocyte; receive culture data relating the second biological sample; and assign the second biological sample a scoring metric as a function of the culture data of the second biological sample.

Use of Cistanche deserticola polysaccharide (CDP) in promoting the proliferation and differentiation of female germline stem cells (FGSCs) is provided. Specifically, the addition of CDP in an in vitro cultivation system can promote the proliferation and differentiation of FGSCs, and especially can enhance the in vitro directed differentiation of FGSCs into oocytes, which provides a new research reference for studying the generation of oocytes in vivo and in vitro and also brings a new hope for research on physiological infertility.

The present disclosure relates to methods for increasing telomere length in one or more human cells and/or increasing genome stability of one or more human cells, for example by contacting one or more human cells with an agent that increases expression of Zscan4 in the one or more human cells. Methods of treating a subject in need of telomere lengthening, treating a disease or condition associated with a genomic and/or chromosome abnormality, of rejuvenating one or more human cells, of rejuvenating tissues or organs, and of rejuvenating a subject in need thereof, for example by contacting one or more human cells in the subject with an agent that increases expression of Zscan4, or by administering to a subject in need thereof, an agent that increases expression of Zscan4 are also provided.

The present invention relates to an ovarian-derived hydrogel material, which can be useful for three-dimensional in vitro culturing of cells, cell therapy, fertility preservation, drug delivery, site-specific remodeling and repair of damaged tissue, and/or diagnostic kits.

Disclosed is a method for monitoring cell density during cell expansion resulting from a cell culture process in a bioreactor comprising the steps of: a) cultivating cells in a bioreactor culture chamber according to a cell culture process having cell culture parameters; b) during said process, introducing cell culture fluid inputs and generating waste materials; c) determining the intensity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their chemical species in the waste materials; and d) estimating the density or population of cells in the bioreactor based on said determination.

The present disclosure relates to methods for increasing telomere length in one or more human cells and/or increasing genome stability of one or more human cells, for example by contacting one or more human cells with an agent that increases expression of Zscan4 in the one or more human cells. Methods of treating a subject in need of telomere lengthening, treating a disease or condition associated with a genomic and/or chromosome abnormality, of rejuvenating one or more human cells, of rejuvenating tissues or organs, and of rejuvenating a subject in need thereof, for example by contacting one or more human cells in the subject with an agent that increases expression of Zscan4, or by administering to a subject in need thereof, an agent that increases expression of Zscan4 are also provided.

An object of the present invention is to provide an agent for enhancing fertilization function of a mammal sperm, which comprises a low molecular compound which can be produced relatively easily and inexpensively as an active ingredient, and a method for enhancing fertilization function of a mammal sperm and a method for preparing a mammal fertilized egg, which use a low molecular compound which can be produced relatively easily and inexpensively. An agent comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of compounds of the following formula (I.sub.0), formula (II), and formula (III), and physiologically acceptable salts thereof when R.sup.3 is OH is used as an agent for enhancing fertilization function of a mammal sperm.

##STR00001##

The instant disclosure relates to methods for converting mammalian definitive endoderm (DE) cells into specific tissue(s) or organ(s) through directed differentiation. In particular, the disclosure relates to formation of gastric fundus tissue and/or organoids formed from differentiated definitive endoderm.