A method of producing induced exosomes, the method comprising: contacting an isolated population of stem cells with an amount of a prostaglandin E receptor 4 (EP4) antagonist effective for inducing release of exosomes, whereby induced exosomes are released from the stem cells, and isolating the induced exosomes.

Provided are methods for treating or preventing vasculopathy in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a prostacyclin and a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) or a MSC-conditioned culture medium or administering to the subject a MSC or a MSC-conditioned culture medium that has treated with prostacyclin. Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for such treatments are also provided.

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.

The invention provides improved methods for preparing hematopoietic cells for transplantation and the resulting improved hematopoietic cell compositions. The invention further relates to improved culture media and methods of culturing, processing, modulating, and expanding blood cell products for hematopoietic transplantation.

The invention provides improved methods for cell therapy. In particular, the invention provides therapeutic compositions of enhanced hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells having improved engraftment and homing properties, and methods of making the therapeutic compositions. The invention further provides methods of improving the efficacy of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell transplantation including transplanting the therapeutic composition to subjects in need of hematopoietic system reconstitution.

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.

The invention relates to a method for inducing human cholangiocyte differentiation of progenitor cells called hepatoblasts. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for differentiating hepatoblasts to cholangiocytes by culturing said hepatoblasts with a particular medium having interleukin-6 (IL-6) activity. The differentiation method can specifically induce cholangiocyte differentiation from hepatoblasts, and the human cholangiocytes differentiated according to the invention may be useful for drug discovery for treatment of cholangiopathies and bioengineered livers.

Provided are methods for treating or preventing vasculopathy in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a prostacyclin and a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) or a MSC-conditioned culture medium or administering to the subject a MSC or a MSC-conditioned culture medium that has treated with prostacyclin. Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for such treatments are also provided.

The present invention provides methods and compositions for improving efficacy of viral transduction of cells. More particularly, the present invention provides methods and materials useful for safely and reliably improving the efficiency of methods and materials useful for safely and reliably improving the efficiency of methods for transducing cells, such as human hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), with viruses and/or viral vectors. The compositions and methods are useful for therapeutic indications amenable to treatment with hematopoietic stem cell gene therapies.

Directed differentiation and maturation of mammalian hepatocytes, such as human hepatocytes. The hepatocyte obtained show a phenotype which is more similar to that of primary hepatocytes than previously shown. In particular, exposure of mammalian hepatocytes, such as human hepatocytes, to at least one maturation factor selected from the group consisting of Src kinase inhibitors, vitamin D including precursors, metabolites and analogs thereof, hypoxia inducing compounds, sphingosine and sphingosine derivatives, activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), platelet-activating factor (PAF), PKC inhibitors, and combinations thereof.