The invention relates to the discovery that the proliferation and survival of pancreatic progenitor cells can be enhanced by contacting the cells with, (1) a caspase inhibitor sufficient to reduce apoptosis in the pancreatic endocrine cells; and, (2) a growth factor in an amount sufficient to increase the level of activated Akt in the pancreatic endocrine cells.

The present invention provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. In particular, the present invention provides an improved method for the formation of pancreatic endoderm, pancreatic hormone expressing cells and pancreatic hormone secreting cells. The present invention also provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells without the use of a feeder cell layer.

Methods and composition for the production of cardiomyocytes from differentiation of pluripotent stem cells are provided. For example, in certain aspects methods including differentiating pluripotent stem cells in a large volume of suspension culture in the presence of ROCK inhibitors are described. In further aspects, methods for differentiation of stem cells into cardiomyocytes that overcome variability between different stem cell clones and different batch of culture medium are provided.

The present invention provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. In particular, the present invention provides an improved method for the formation of pancreatic endoderm, pancreatic hormone expressing cells and pancreatic hormone secreting cells. The present invention also provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells without the use of a feeder cell layer.

Methods of producing human stem cells are disclosed for parthenogenetically activating human oocytes by manipulation of O.sub.2 tension, including manipulation of Ca.sup.2+ under high O.sub.2 tension and contacting oocytes with serine threonine kinase inhibitors under low O.sub.2 tension, isolating inner cell masses (ICMs) from the activated oocytes, and culturing the cells of the isolated ICMs under high O.sub.2 tension. Moreover, methods are described for the production of stems cells from activated oocytes in the absence of non-human animal products, including the use of human feeder cells/products for culturing ICM/stem cells. Stem cells produced by the disclosed methods are also described.

The present invention relates to methods for expanding a stem cell population. More particularly, the invention relates, inter alia, to methods and compositions for expanding a stem cell population, particularly a hematopoietic stem cell population.

This document provides methods and materials relating to cardiac cells. For example, this document provides methods and materials that can be used to obtain cells having the ability to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. Such cells can be used to repair damaged heart tissue. For example, cells having the ability to differentiate into cardiomyocytes can be used to repair or regenerate heart tissue in patients with a cardiac condition (e.g., ischemic cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, or heart failure).

The present invention provides for methods of epigenetic analysis. In some cases, the methods may include obtaining a sample comprising a nucleic acid sequence. In some cases, the nucleic acid sequence may comprise one or more epigenetic marks. The methods may include performing a sequencing. The methods may include distinguishing a hydroxymethylated base from a methylated base.

Disclosed are compositions and methods for cellular genome engineering that permit simple, efficient, and versatile permutations of combinatorial or simultaneous knockout and knock-in genomic modifications. An exemplary method includes modifying the genome of a cell by introducing to the cell a Cpf1 endonuclease and one or more AAV vectors encoding one or more crRNAs that direct the endonuclease to one or more target genes. The AAV vectors further contain one or more HDR templates that provide a sequence that encodes a reporter gene, a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), or combinations thereof, and sequences homologous to one or more target sites. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions containing genetically modified cells and methods of use thereof in treating a subject having a disease or disorder, such as cancer. The disclosed compositions and methods are especially applicable to development of enhanced chimeric antigen receptor engineered T cell therapy (CAR-T).

The present disclosure provides methods for preparing a population of genetically-modified immune cells. The methods include contacting a population of immune cells with lipid nanoparticles in the presence of an apolipoprotein. The lipid nanoparticles include mRNA encoding an engineered nuclease having specificity for a recognition sequence in the genome of the immune cells. The mRNA is delivered into the immune cells and the engineered nuclease is expressed, generating a cleavage site at the recognition sequence. Further provided are populations of genetic ally-modified immune cells produced according to the disclosed methods, pharmaceutical compositions containing such cells, and methods of treating diseases with the genetically-modified immune cells.