Micro-Organosphers, including Patient-Derived Micro-Organospheres (PMOS s), apparatuses and methods of making them, and apparatuses and methods of using them. Also described herein are methods and systems for screening a patient using these Patient-Derived Micro-Organospheres, including personalized therapies.

An implantable containment apparatus for receiving and retaining a plurality of cells for insertion into a patient, such as into a tissue bed, is disclosed. The device includes a chamber having structural spacers therein to maintain an average distance between the first interior surface and the second interior surface of the chamber and to define at least one reservoir space for the placement of cells within the chamber.

The invention relates to a process for preparing cellular microcompartments comprising a hydrogel capsule surrounding a cluster of lymphomatous cells. The invention also relates to such a cellular microcompartment and the use thereof for screening anti-cancer molecules.

The invention comprises an implantable cell device that includes a membrane defining and enclosing a chamber; a distance body within the chamber for reducing the diffusion distance for a biological active factor to or across the membrane; and a support scaffold within the chamber for increasing the cell support surface area per unit volume of the chamber for distributing cells.

Disclosed herein are methods of inducing and/or promoting cardiomyocyte maturation comprising: providing an immature cardiomyocyte; providing a three dimensional (3D) cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold; and inducing and/or promoting cardiomyocyte cell maturation by seeding the immature cardiomyocyte in the 3D cardiac ECM scaffold and harvesting once the cardiomyocyte has reached maturity. Also disclosed herein are methods of treating a disease in a mammal comprising transplanting a mature cardiomyocyte into an ischemic heart, wherein the mature cardiomyocyte is generated comprising the steps of: providing an immature cardiomyocyte; providing a 3D cardiac ECM scaffold; and generating mature cardiomyocyte by seeding the immature cardiomyocyte in a 3D cardiac ECM scaffold or co-culturing the immature cardiomyocyte in the presence of endothelial cells or stromal cells; and harvesting once the cardiomyocyte has reached maturity.

Systems and methods for growing cells are provided. A capsule for growing or storing cells includes a shell defining an interior compartment and a substrate for cell attachment located within the compartment. The substrate comprises a polymer and one or more adhesion molecules. The substrate for cell attachment can be an inner surface of the shell and/or a hydrogel disposed within the interior compartment. The capsule can further include a cell, such as a stem cell, adhered to the substrate

The present invention relates to compositions comprising at least one in vitro-developed -cell and a CXCL12 polypeptide encapsulated in a microcapsule. The invention further relates to methods for treating diabetes, accelerating the normalization of hyperglycemia, and preventing fibrotic pericapsular overgrowth of microcapsules using transplanted human stem cell-derived cells co-encapsulated with a CXCL12 polypeptide.

This invention provides methods for the formation of biocompatible membranes around biological materials using photopolymerization of water soluble molecules. The membranes can be used as a covering to encapsulate biological materials or biomedical devices, as a glue to cause more than one biological substance to adhere together, or as carriers for biologically active species. Several methods for forming these membranes are provided. Each of these methods utilizes a polymerization system containing water-soluble macromers, species, which are at once polymers and macromolecules capable of further polymerization. The macromers are polymerized using a photoinitiator (such as a dye), optionally a cocatalyst, optionally an accelerator, and radiation in the form of visible or long wavelength UV light. The reaction occurs either by suspension polymerization or by interfacial polymerization. The polymer membrane can be formed directly on the surface of the biological material, or it can be formed on material, which is already encapsulated.

A composite shell particle including a composite shell layer is provided. The composite shell layer is a hollow shell, wherein the composite shell layer includes a porous biological layer and a metallic layer. The porous biological layer is composed of an organic substance including a cell wall or a cell membrane of a bacteria or algae. The metallic layer is crosslinked with the porous biological layer to form the composite shell layer. The metallic layer includes at least one metal selected from the group consisting of iron, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, zirconium, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, and calcium, and/or includes at least one selected form the group consisting of metal chelates, metal oxides, metal sulfides, metal chlorides, metal selenides, metal acid salt compounds, and metal carbonate compounds. A method of manufacturing the composite shell particle, and a biological material including the composite shell particle and the applications thereof are also provided.

The present invention discloses crosslinked poly(alkylene glycol) (PAG)-based hydrogel compositions, systems containing a plurality of cancer cells in contact with a cell culture media and encapsulated in the crosslinked PAG-based hydrogel composition and methods of making such crosslinked hydrogel compositions and systems. Also disclosed herein are methods of using such compositions and systems, such as, for example for screening an agent for effectiveness of the agent against cancer cells. Also disclosed herein are kits containing one or more components including one or more systems of the present disclosure and one or more instructions.