A method of generating a population of cells useful for treating a brain disorder in a subject is disclosed. The method comprises contacting mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with at least one exogenous miRNA having a nucleic acid sequence at least 90% identical to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 15-19 and 27-35, thereby generating the population of cells and/or generating neurotrophic factors that may provide important signals to damaged tissues or locally residing stem cells. MSCs differentiated by miRs may also secrete miRs and deliver them to adjacent cells and therefore provide important signals to neighboring endogenous normal or malignant cells.

Methods and compositions directed to altering a population of sRNAs in a sperm using vesicles isolated from an epididymosome are provided. Methods and compositions directed to altering a population of sRNAs in an oocyte using vesicles isolated from an epididymosome are also provided. Methods for altering an sRNA population in a sperm or an oocyte can be used to prevent, or reduce the severity of, a disease, disorder, or condition that would otherwise be inherited by progeny. For example, certain epigenetic inherited conditions due to paternal effects, such as certain metabolic and stress disorders and conditions, can be ameliorated in progeny using sperm or oocytes having an altered sRNA population.

Provided herein are methods of obtaining induced pluripotent stem cells from cells of a hematopoietic lineage.

The present invention discloses a set of human microRNAs, or a primary transcript for such microRNAs, or a precursor of such microRNAs, or a mimic of such microRNAs or a combination thereof, and their use as medicaments for inducing proliferation of cardiomyocytes for the prevention and treatment of heart diseases associated with a loss of cardiomyocytes. The invention also relates to a method for screening microRNAs and biological and therapeutically active compounds for their ability to increase proliferation of cardiomyocytes.

The invention provides in certain embodiments, a method of generating a re-programmed differentiated epithelial cell comprising (a) contacting a non-stem somatic cell obtained from a subject with an effective amount of a de-differentiation agent to form a de-differentiated cell, and (b) transfecting the de-differentiated cell with an expression cassette comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleic acid encoding a conversion agent to form a re-programmed differentiated cell. The invention also provides in certain embodiments, a method of generating a re-programmed differentiated epithelial cell comprising (a) contacting a non-stem somatic cell obtained from a subject with an effective amount of a de-differentiation agent to form a de-differentiated cell, and (b) contacting the de-differentiated cell with a conversion agent to form a re-programmed differentiated cell. The invention provides in certain embodiments, re-programmed differentiated epithelial cells, and methods of using these re-programmed differentiated epithelial cells to repair or re-generate tissue in vivo.

This disclosure relates to methods, polynucleotides, vectors, viral particles, cells, and systems or the engineering of human tissues. One aspect of the disclosure relates to using lineage-specific miRNA binding molecules to bias tissue lineage. Another aspect of the disclosure relates to using lineage-specific transcription factor overexpression to bias tissue lineage.

In related-art methods of differentiating pluripotent stem cells into a desired cell type, there has not been established a differentiation induction method using human ES/iPS cells and being highly efficient. Many attempts have been made, including a stepwise differentiation induction method based on the control of culture conditions or the addition of, for example, various cell growth factors/differentiation factors to a culture solution, but the use of complicated culture steps is a big problem. A method of inducing differentiation into a desired cell type within a short period of time and with high efficiency by use of a pluripotent stem cell that actively undergoes cell differentiation, which is obtained by reducing an undifferentiated state of the pluripotent stem cell, has been developed, and thus the present invention has been completed.

The present invention discloses a set of human microRNAs, or a primary transcript for such microRNAs, or a precursor of such microRNAs or a mimic of such MicroRNAs or a combination thereof and their use as medicaments for inducing proliferation of cardiomyocytes for the prevention and treatment of heart, diseases associated with a loss of cardiomyocytes. The invention also relates to a method for screening microRNAs and biological and therapeutically active compounds for their ability to increase proliferation of cardiomyocytes.

The present invention pertains to a method for producing induced pluripotent stem cells, and more specifically, to a method for producing induced pluripotent stem cells using RNA nanoparticles for cell transformation, wherein: cell transformation can be effectively performed without genetic modification by producing induced pluripotent stem cells using self-assembled RNA nanoparticles including at least one RNA selected from the group consisting of messenger RNA for expressing transcription factors which induce somatic cells and adult stem cells to be dedifferentiated into induced pluripotent stem cells, micro RNA facilitating the dedifferentiation process, and small interfering RNA; the production efficiency of iPSCs can be maximized by adjusting structural properties and activity; and low gene loading efficiency can be overcome by applying an infinite replication process to incorporate high concentrations of RNA in RNA nanoparticles.

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating liver diseases, comprising a bioimplant comprising mesenchymal stem cells, wherein the bioimplant comprising mesenchymal stem cells of the present invention can be inserted as a one-time subcutaneous or intraperitoneal implant in liver fibrosis animal models, to reduce the levels of AST and ALT, which are indicators of liver damage, as well as the ratio of an area occupied by collagen fibers in liver parenchyma, the number of degenerate hepatic cells, and the number of infiltrated inflammatory cells, and is effective in regenerating the liver, inhibiting liver fibrosis, and increasing the expression of growth factors, and thus can be beneficially used for preventing or treating liver diseases.