The present invention provides a method of improving iPS cell establishment efficiency, comprising contacting a protein involved in primitive streak (PrS) formation, preferably Foxh1, or a nucleic acid that encodes the same with a somatic cell in a nuclear reprogramming step. Also provided is a method of producing an iPS cell, comprising contacting the protein involved in PrS formation or a nucleic acid that encodes the same, and nuclear reprogramming substance(s) with a somatic cell.

The invention concerns pluri- or multipotent stem cells (SCs), e.g. human pluri- or multipotent stem cells (hSCs) engineered to express a multispecific antibody and which further express, on their surface, a human immune cell co-stimulatory ligand or an active fragment thereof.

The present invention provides an amphiphilic linear peptide and/or peptoid as well as a hy-drogel that includes the amphiphilic linear peptide/peptoid. The amphiphilic linear pep-tide/peptoid is capable of forming, a hydrogel. These peptides/peptoids include short amphi-philic sequences with a hydrophobic portion of aliphatic amino acids and at least one acidic, neutral, or basic polar amino acid. The amphiphilic linear peptide/peptoid is build up of non repetitive aliphatic amino acids, which may be in the L- or D-form. A plurality of such pep-tides/peptoids assembles to supramolecular helical fibers and forms peptide hydrogels after assembly: A corresponding hydrogel is formed in aqueous solutions at physiological pH and is thus useful for inter alia cell culture, tissue engineering, and drug release. Such hydrogels which are rigid, biocompatible and entrapping up to 99.9% of water are also well suited for applications utilizing electronic devices.

The invention is in the field of medical sciences. It provides means and methods for the treatment of cancer. More in particular, it provides cells and cell lines that can be developed into fully functional dendritic cells. These cells endogenously express cancer-specific antigens, which makes them particularly suited for the treatment of different kinds of cancer. More in particular, the invention relates to a precursor cell line for dendritic cells called DC-One as deposited at the DSMZ under accession number DSMZ ACC3189 on Nov. 15, 2012.

This invention relates to a method for screening for a growth-promoting factor for pluripotent stem cells with a conditioned medium which is generated by culturing feeder cells in a serum-free medium that contains L-ascorbic acid, insulin, transferrin, selenium, and sodium bicarbonate and does not contain a serum nor serum replacement; a method for growing pluripotent stem cells via feeder-free culture using the conditioned medium; and a method for growing pluripotent stem cells by carrying out feeder-free culture of pluripotent stem cells cultured in advance on feeder cells in the serum-free medium.

High-Yield mammalian transient expression systems can include a cell culture media (particularly serum free, non animal derived, and/or chemically defined media) for introducing macromolecules and compounds (e.g., nucleic acid molecules) into cells (e.g., eukaryotic cells). Cells containing such introduced materials can then be cultured in the cell culture media. In particular, the invention allows introduction of nucleic acid molecules (e.g., vectors) into cells (particularly mammalian cells) and expression of proteins encoded by the nucleic acid molecules in the cells. The invention obviates the need to change the cell culture medium each time a different procedure is performed with the cells (e.g., culturing cells vs. transfecting cells). The invention also relates to compositions and kits useful for culturing and transforming/transfecting cells.

The present invention relates generally to the treatment of PML by infusion of activated and expanded autologous lymphocytes.

Provided herein are methods for the generation of functional keratinocyte stem cells that are differentiated directly from human ESCs/iPSCs in a chemically defined serum-free cell culture system, as well as cells derived therefrom and methods of use thereof. Also provided are methods for culturing primary keratinocytes.

The present invention discloses cryopreserved recombinant cells for screening drug candidates that transiently overexpress one or more drug transporter proteins and/or drug metabolizing enzymes. Advantageously, such cells provide a cost-efficient consumable product that streamlines the process of screening whether drug candidates are substrates or inhibitors of drug transporter proteins and/or drug metabolizing enzymes.

The present invention is directed to an adult retinal cell line isolated from extra-retinal ocular tissue, and methods of isolating adult retinal cells from extra-retinal ocular tissue. The present invention is further directed to adult retinal stem cells isolated from vestigial tissue dissected from the eye of a donor mammal suffering from persistent fetal vasculature. The present invention is further directed to a culture medium for growing or maintaining retinal stem cells, and methods of maintaining adult retinal cells in culture. The present invention is further directed to methods of treating a treating an eye with retinal dystrophy using retinal stem cells, and an eye with glaucomatous injury with retinal stem cells. The present invention is further directed to kits for harvesting extra-retinal ocular tissue comprising a sterile container and a harvesting solution, wherein the kit allows the survival of the tissue until later dissociation of cells from the tissue.