The invention is in the field of therapeutic treatment of tumors. The inventors have found that microvesicles derived from adult stem cells exert a remarkable anti-tumor effect when administered to a patient affected by a tumor disease. Preferred microvesicles are derived from a bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cell, a glomerular mesenchymal stem cell or a non-oval liver stem cell.

Provided herein are methods for the in vitro maintenance, expansion, culture, and/or differentiation of pluripotent cells, such as human embryonic stem cells (hESC) or induced pluripotent cells (iPSC), into hematopoietic precursor cells or endothelial cells. The pluripotent cells may be maintained and differentiated under defined conditions; thus, the use of mouse feeder cells or serum is not required in certain embodiments for the differentiation of the pluripotent cells into hematopoietic precursor cells or endothelial cells. The resulting hematopoietic precursor cells may be further differentiated into various myeloid or lymphoid lineages.

The present invention relates to precursor cells to hepatic stellate cells, compositions comprising same and methods of isolating same. The surface antigenic profile of the precursors is MHC class Ia negative, ICAM-1.sup.+, VCAM-1.sup.+, 3-integrin.sup.+. In addition to expression of these surface markers, the cells also express the intracellular markers desmin, vimentin, smooth muscle -actin, nestin, hepatocyte growth factor, stromal derived factor-1 and Hlx homeobox transcriptional factor.

The described invention relates to the identification of biomarkers for gastrointestinal diseases and provides methods utilizing the biomarkers for in drug discovery, monitoring of treatment efficacy, and diagnostics. The invention further provides methods for identifying a therapeutic target to treat ulcerative colitis, colorectal cancer, and Crohn's disease.

The present invention has an object of providing a method for producing specific cells by amplifying cells in a desired differentiation stage. The present invention provides a method for producing specific cells by inducing differentiation of cells, wherein an oncogene is forcibly expressed in cells in a desired differentiation stage to amplify the cells in the desired differentiation stage. The present invention also provides a method for producing specific cells, wherein oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) which is induced by the oncogene expressed in the cells in the desired differentiation stage is suppressed.

A method of making a porous three-dimensional graphene mesh includes combining a graphene-containing material and a polymer having a plurality of hydroxyl groups in an alcohol solvent to form a mixture, adding a salt to the mixture, heating the mixture to form a gel, and washing the gel with water to remove the salt from the gel, leaving behind stable pores to form a scaffold. A three-dimensional porous graphene mesh includes a graphene-containing material and a polymer. The polymer is crosslinked with the graphene-containing material such that the Young's Modulus of the mesh is at least about 5 GPa.

The present invention relates to a medicament for use in a method of inducing a cellular cytotoxic immune response, the method comprising the steps of: i) administering to a patient a delivery system comprising (a) a molecule binding to a receptor on the surface of a dendritic cell, (b) an antigen-comprising protein bound to molecule of (a) and (c) a first adjuvant, wherein upon binding of the molecule of (a) to the receptor, the protein of (b) is internalized and processed in the dendritic cell and the antigen comprised in the protein is presented on the surface of the dendritic cell, thereby activating a T cell in the patient; and ii) administering to the patient a re-activator selected from the group consisting of (d) complexed interleukin 2 (IL-2cx), (e) a peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) presenting cell and a second adjuvant, and (f) a combination of (d) and (e), wherein the peptide is derived from the antigen-comprising protein as defined in step i), thereby reactivating the T cell activated in step i), wherein the re-activator of step ii) is administered in a time frame of from 0 h to 14 days after the administration of the delivery system of step i).

A method for modifying gene expression of diseased cells in a patient including preparing an extract of diseased cells, forming a plurality of conditioned stem cells by treating a plurality of normal stem cells with a solution of the extract of the diseased cells with a volume ratio between 10.sup.?15 volume/volume (v/v) and 10.sup.?3 v/v (volume of the extract of the diseased cells/volume of a culture medium), forming a conditioned stem cell-derived extract, and forming a plurality of healthy cells by treating the diseased cells with the conditioned stem cell-derived extract.

The present invention relates to methods for deriving human hematopoietic progenitors, primitive macrophages, and microglial cells from human pluripotent stem cells. In particular, provided herein are highly efficient and reproducible methods of obtaining human primitive macrophages and microglia from human pluripotent stem cells, where the primitive macrophages and microglia can be suitable for clinically relevant therapeutic applications.

The present application is directed to the field of implants comprising soft tissue for use in implantation in humans. The soft tissue implants of the present application are preferably obtained from xenograft sources. The present application provides a chemical process that sterilizes, removes antigens from and/or strengthens xenograft implants. The present techniques yield soft tissue implants having superior structural, mechanical, and/or biochemical integrity. The present application is also directed to processes for treating xenograft implants comprising soft tissues such as dermis, and to implants produced by such processes.