To provide a technique for selecting a target cell producing a target substance that specifically binds to a desired cell membrane protein more rapidly and efficiently. A substrate 1 having a plurality of microwells 2 is provided. A first cell 3 expressing a target cell membrane protein on its surface is allowed to adhere to each of the microwells 2. One or two second cells 5 as a candidate of a target cell are introduced into each microwell 2, and are allowed to coexist with the first cell 3 in the microwell 2, and target substance 6 secreted by the second cell 5 is brought into contact with the first cell 3. A microwell 2 including the first cell 3 to which the target substance 6 binds is identified. The second cell 5 as the target cell is recovered from the identified microwell 2. One example of the target substance 6 is an antibody. Visualization may be performed by adding a label substance 7.

A cytometer includes an avalanche photodiode, a switching power supply, a filter, and voltage adjustment circuitry. The switching power supply includes a feedback loop. The filter is electrically connected between the switching power supply and the avalanche photodiode. The voltage adjustment circuitry adjusts a voltage on the feedback loop based at least in part on a voltage measured between the filter and the avalanche photodiode.

Disclosed herein are kits comprising transcription factors for inducing a fibroblast cell into an induced embryonic neural progenitor cell. The induced embryonic neural progenitor cell is then capable of differentiating into an astrocyte, an oligodendrocyte or a neuron. Also disclosed are the uses of the kit as a platform for selecting a drug candidate to treat neurological diseases.

A method for making an acellular human amnion-derived composition configured for therapeutic use is disclosed and generally includes the steps: obtaining amniotic membrane tissue; testing the amniotic membrane tissue for pathogens; washing the amniotic membrane tissue; manually removing blood-containing chorion tissue from the amniotic membrane tissue decellularizing the amniotic membrane tissue with xeno-free enzymes; collecting amniotic cells from the decellularized amniotic membrane tissue; seeding the amniotic cells for culture into xeno-free media formulated for mesenchymal stem cells; growing the amniotic cells to a specified confluency; collecting conditioned media; and freezing the collected conditioned media; wherein the method further includes irradiating the conditioned media.

To provide a method of inducing regulatory T cells without the use of additives, disclosed herein is a method of inducing regulatory T cells comprising: a step of extracting blood from a living body; and a step of irradiating the extracted blood with ultraviolet light having a wavelength ranging between 260 nm and 320 nm. By irradiating the blood with ultraviolet light in the above specific wavelength range, it makes it possible for regulatory T cells to be induced without adding any substance to the blood extracted from a living body.

The present invention relates to a topical pharmaceutical preparation for treating an inflammatory skin condition, preferably a condition associated with ischemia, comprising a supernatant of a physiological solution obtainable by cultivating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or a subset thereof in a physiological solution free of PBMC-proliferating and PBMC-activating substances for at least 1 h.

A method for elongating telomeres of cells comprises steps of: providing physical stimulation directly or indirectly to cells; and culturing a mixture of the cells and a medium for a predetermined time, wherein providing the stimulation directly to the cells comprises applying physical stimulation to the medium containing the cells, and providing the stimulation indirectly to the cells comprises applying physical stimulation to the medium not containing the cells and then mixing the medium and the cells. The method for elongating telomeres of cells is simpler than a conventional method and is superior in terms of time, cost, efficiency, and safety. In addition, the method induces cell division and provides an anti-aging effect, in addition to simply elongating telomeres. Thereby, it is expected that the method can ameliorate and prevent not only problems caused by shortening of telomeres, but also various aging-related diseases and conditions.

The present invention provides a pigmentation skin model that comprises: a first cell group containing fibroblasts damaged by light irradiation, said first cell group being seeded on a first cell culture substratum; and a second cell group containing melanocytes and keratinocytes, said second cell group being applied onto the first cell group. The present invention also provides a method for producing the pigmentation skin model, and a method for evaluating a factor for treating or preventing pigmentation of the skin, said method comprising using the pigmentation skin model.

The inventors has developed a recombinant molecular system, named OptoFab, allowing the accurate control of the agonistic properties of an antibody-derived Fab fragment in time and in space using specific wavelengths of light. It consists in a Fab fragment derived from an agonistic antibody of interest, linked to optogenetic modules that confer a light response capacity. Indeed, antibody derived Fab fragments generally keep the specificity of the antibody for its epitope, but not its agonistic properties. However, when Fab fragments are oligomerized, they recover the agonistic properties of the whole antibody. These characteristics, are at the basis of the OptoFab concept as its objective is to manipulate the oligomerization/immobilization statue of a Fab fragment using optogenetics to control its agonistic property. The present invention relates to methods and systems for controlling the agonistic properties of antibody variable domains by light.

Systems and methods for classifying T cells by activation state are disclosed. The system includes a cell analysis pathway, a time-resolved autofluorescence decay spectrometer, a processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable memory. The memory is accessible to the processor and has stored thereon instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: a) receive the time-resolved autofluorescence decay signal; b) compute at least a first phasor coordinate at a first frequency and a second phasor coordinate at a second frequency from the time-resolved autofluorescence decay signal, wherein the first and second frequency are different; and c) compute an activation prediction for the T cell using at least the first phasor coordinate and the second phasor coordinate.