A non-human mammalian model for human diseases or disorders comprising a non-human neutrophil depleted mammalian host engrafted with a human skin equivalent (huSE) and human immune cells.

The present invention provides an ex vivo lymph node is provided. The ex vivo lymph node comprises an intact lobule in a chamber connected to an afferent lymphatic vessel and an efferent lymphatic vessel. The intact lobule is perfused with a lymphatic fluid into the chamber via the afferent lymphatic vessel and out of the chamber via the efferent lymphatic vessel and perfused with a vascular fluid into the intact lobule via an endogenous artery and out of the intact lobule via an endogenous vein. Also provided is a method for preparing the ex vivo lymph node. Further provided are methods for screening for an agent capable of changing the ex vivo lymph node, producing T lymphocytes or B lymphocytes and determining immunoreactivity of the ex vivo lymph node.

In some embodiments, compositions and methods re¬lating to isolated artificial antigen presenting cells (aAPCs) are dis¬closed, including aAPCs comprising a myeloid cell transduced with one or more viral vectors, such as a MOLM-14 or a EM-3 myeloid cell, wherein the myeloid cell endogenously expresses HLA-A/B/C, ICOS-L, and CD58, and wherein the one or more viral vectors com¬prise a nucleic acid encoding CD86 and a nucleic acid encoding 4-1BBL and/or OX40L and transduce the myeloid cell to express CD86 and 4-1BBL and/or OX40L proteins. In some embodiments, methods of expanding tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) with aAPCs and methods of treating cancers using TILs after expansion with aAPCs are also disclosed.

The present application provides a group of human immortalized B lymphocyte cell lines and use thereof, and specifically provides a combination of four closely related immortalized lymphocyte cell lines. The combination can be used as a reference substances for measuring the performance of a detection platform. When the four closely related immortalized lymphocyte cell lines are used as reference substances for epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome, an intrinsic magnitude difference gradient can be formed to evaluate the sensitivity of histological detection.

The present invention relates to a method for obtaining stable pseudotyped lentiviral particles including a heterologous gene of interest, comprising the following steps: a) transfecting at least one plasmid in appropriate cell lines, wherein said at least one plasmid comprises the gene of interest, the rev, gag and pol genes, and a sequence coding for an ERV syncytin, wherein the rev, gag and pol genes are retroviral genes; b) incubating the transfected cells obtained in a), so that they produce the stable pseudotyped lentiviral particles in the supernatant; and c) harvesting and concentrating the stable lentiviral particles obtained in b).

The present invention also relates to a method to transduce immune cells using lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with an ERV syncytin glycoprotein. The method can be performed on non-stimulated blood cells or on cells stimulated briefly with IL7, and the cells can be expanded.

The stable pseudotyped lentiviral particles obtained are particularly useful in gene therapy.

The present invention provides methods compositions and methods of preparing autologous (or allogeneic) B cells that secrete a monoclonal of interest useful in immunotherapy or B cells with an altered function.

Embodiments disclosed here are production methods and compositions of engineered immune cells, such as B or T lymphocytes, from limited lineage myeloid progenitor cells, or from pluripotent stem cells, or from multilineage hematopoietic progenitor cells comprising the addition of various cell differentiation transcription factors and inhibiting epigenetic histone methylations in said cells.

Compositions for determining the efficacy and/or potency of a vaccine preparation are described herein. Splenocytes from immunized animals are isolated and can be frozen. Upon thawing such cells are activated by exposure to a series of dilutions of a vaccine preparation being tested and a series of dilutions of a reference vaccine with known characteristics. Cells secreting immunogen-specific antibody and cells secreting nonspecific antibody are enumerated, as is the amount of immunogen-specific and nonspecific antibody produced. Comparison between the results from the vaccine preparations provides a measure of relative vaccine efficacy and/or potency.

The present invention is directed to indirect ultrasonic cavitation-derived perivascular cells, to methods of use of a perivascular cell composition, to a method of processing a tissue and to an apparatus for the processing of a tissue. The methods include the mechanic indirect ultrasonication of a cellular non-structural tissue, and produce a perivascular fraction which includes perivascular cells. The methods of use are directed to the treatment of a variety of diseases and disorders and to the improvement of a tissue in a subject. The apparatus is provided for the processing of cellular non-structural tissue.

In certain aspects, the present invention provides methods for inducing a stable gene modification of a target nucleic acid via homologous recombination in a primary cell, such as a primary blood cell and/or a primary mesenchymal cell. In certain other aspects, the present invention provides methods for enriching a population of genetically modified primary cells having targeted integration at a target nucleic acid. The methods of the present invention rely on the introduction of a DNA nuclease such as a Cas polypeptide and a homologous donor adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector into the primary cell to mediate targeted integration of the target nucleic acid. Also provided herein are methods for preventing or treating a disease in a subject in need thereof by administering to the subject any of the genetically modified primary cells or pharmaceutical compositions described herein to prevent the disease or ameliorate one or more symptoms of the disease.