Methods of developing and using cell lines, such as stem cell lines, for therapeutic or cosmetic use. In one embodiment, the cell lines are used to treat a wide range of degenerative and metabolic disorders including, but not limited to, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac deficiency. Also described are methods of using such cell lines to screen for compounds that play a role in regulating a variety of processes.

Methods for generating serum-free and/or xenogen-free cardiac explant-derived stem cells (EDC) are provided. These methods may include providing an initial cardiac explant, which has been minced and digested; plating the initial cardiac explant; culturing the plated cardiac explant in serum-free and xenogen-free medium; harvesting EDC cells surrounding or emerging from the plated cardiac explant; and optionally performing static expansion of harvested EDC cells in serum-free and xenogen-free media. Serum-free and/or xenogen-free cardiac EDC cells produced by these methods, as well as methods and uses thereof for the treatment of heart failure in a subject in need thereof, are also provided.

Disclosed herein are pharmaceutical compositions and therapeutic dosage regimens comprising or utilizing adherent stromal cells. The adherent stromal cells may be derived e.g. from placental tissue, from adipose tissue, or from bone marrow. The pharmaceutical compositions may be indicated for treating various disorders, e.g. ischemic disorders, hematopoietic disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders, inflammatory disorders, and neoplasms. The pharmaceutical compositions may further include pharmacologically acceptable excipients.

Methods and compositions for expanding dopaminergic neuron progenitor cells are described herein that include use of compositions and culture media that have at least the following components: an FGF, an agonist of SHH signaling, an agonist of canonical Wnt signaling, and Wnt-C59. The methods include contacting dopaminergic neuron progenitor cells with a culture medium comprising an FGF, an agonist of SHH signaling, an agonist of canonical Wnt signaling, and Wnt-C59, to generate an expanded dopaminergic neuron progenitor cell population.

The present invention provides for methods and devices suitable for producing a transplantable cellular suspension of living tissue suitable for grafting to a patient. In applying the method and/or in using the device, donor tissue is harvested, subjected to a cell dissociation treatment, cells suitable for grafting back to a patient are collected and dispersed in a solution that is suitable for immediate dispersion over the recipient graft site.

An aqueous cell culture medium composition includes an aqueous cell culture solution configured to support the culture of mammalian cells. The composition further includes a synthetic polymer conjugated to a polypeptide dissolved in the aqueous cell culture solution. The synthetic polymer conjugated to a polypeptide is configured to attach to the surface of a cell culture article under cell culture conditions. Incubation of the aqueous cell culture medium composition on a cell culture surface under cell culture conditions results is attachment to the surface of the synthetic polymer conjugated to the polypeptide.

Retinal progenitors and mature photoreceptor cells can be produced by differentiating human embryonic stem cells on a surface having a laminin matrix thereon made of two laminins One laminin is laminin-521, and the other laminin is either laminin-323 or laminin-523. Stem cells plated on this substrate can be differentiated using various cell culture mediums to obtain the retinal progenitors and mature photoreceptor cells.

The present disclosure relates to the use of laminin-521 in obtaining retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. Pluripotent human embryonic stem cells are cultured on plates coated with recombinant laminin-521 (laminin-11), in totally defined and xeno-free conditions. A first cell culture medium contains a growth factor, and a second cell culture medium does not contain growth factor. The stem cells are first exposed to the first cell culture medium, then exposed to the second cell culture medium for a longer time period. After a number of weeks, clinical grade RPE cells are obtained from the stem cells.

Provided is a cell culture medium comprising enriched basal media supplemented with ascorbic acid, a member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) superfamily, a transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily ligand, and a stable glutamine source. Methods of culturing stem cells in such culture medium for extended periods of time, populations of stem cells, and kits are also provided.

Provided is a cell culture medium comprising enriched basal media supplemented with ascorbic acid, a member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) superfamily, a transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily ligand, and a stable glutamine source. Methods of culturing stem cells in such culture medium for extended periods of time, populations of stem cells, and kits are also provided.