The presently disclosed subject matter provides for in vitro methods of inducing differentiation of stem cells (e.g., human stem cells) into proprioceptors, proprioceptors generated by such methods, and compositions comprising such proprioceptors. The presently disclosed subject matter also provides for uses of such proprioceptors for preventing and/or treating disorders of proprioceptor neurons and/or neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Friedreich's Ataxia).

The invention provides a method for constructing a hepatic progenitor cell-like cell bank, including successively performing following processes to human primary hepatocyte cultures from different donor sources: transformation-culture, cryopreservation treatment, proliferation-culture, a first subculture treatment, virus infection, a second subculture treatment, continuous selection-culture and continuous subculture. In the method for constructing a heterogenous immortal hepatic progenitor cell-like cell bank of the present invention, the human primary hepatocyte culture of each of the donor sources is transformation-cultured before the proliferation-culture, which is beneficial in endowing the human primary hepatocyte cultures with good proliferation performance. Once combined with subsequent controlling of culture parameter, the immortal hepatic progenitor cell-like cell lines obtained from different donor sources may have good in vitro proliferation ability. The invention also provides an application of the hepatic progenitor cell-like cell bank and cell lines obtained by the construction method.

Provided is a method for freezing a cell aggregate including neural cells. Provided is a method for freezing a cell aggregate including neural cells and having a three-dimensional structure, which comprises following steps (1) and (2): (1) soaking the cell aggregate including neural cells in a cryopreservation solution at 0° C. to 30° C. prior to freezing to prepare a cryopreservation solution-soaked cell aggregate; and (2) freezing the cell aggregate including neural cells in vapor phase of a liquid nitrogen container having a temperature of −150° C. or less.

The present invention is directed to a mammalian-avian chimeric model system comprising a fertilized avian egg comprising a chorioallantoic membrane (CAM); and multiple types of mammalian cells dispersed in a hydrogel. Further provided is a method for preparing the system and a method of using the same.

A plant fat-based scaffold for growing cell-based meat products for consumption. The scaffold comprises primarily plant fats or waxes in addition to cell binding proteins and optional additional components that assist in the growth of cultivated animal cells. The scaffold can exist in both a liquified state during sterilization and a solid state during the formation of the scaffold, the seeding of the cultivated cells, and the cellular growth phase. The scaffold is capable of remaining in the final product for consumption or is partially or completely melted out of the final product and recycled into raw material for forming new scaffolds.

Disclosed are bioprinted, three-dimensional, biological skin tissues comprising: a dermal layer comprising dermal fibroblasts; and an epidermal layer comprising keratinocytes, the epidermal layer in contact with the dermal layer to form the three-dimensional, engineered, biological skin tissue. Also disclosed are arrays of engineered skin tissues and methods of making engineered skin tissues.

Compositions and methods for generating insulin-producing beta cells from pluripotent stem cells are provided. The compositions and methods of the present invention involve stepwise differentiation while the differentiating cells are cultured on a lung tissue-derived acellular scaffold.

There is provided a cell culture matrix comprising a fungal derived protein. Also provided is a composition comprising the cell culture matrix as described herein, a cell culture system comprising the cell culture matrix as described herein, and a method of forming a cell culture matrix thereof.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing a pluripotent stem cell capable of differentiating into a specific cell. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a pluripotent stem cell capable of differentiating into a specific cell, the method including (i) a step of measuring, in a pluripotent stem cell as a sample, a phenotype associated with induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition before differentiation induction; and (ii) a step of acquiring a pluripotent stem cell capable of differentiating into a specific cell using the measured phenotype as an indicator. According to the present invention, there are further provided a method of selecting a pluripotent stem cell capable of differentiating into a specific cell; a pluripotent stem cell capable of differentiating into a specific cell; a production method of a differentiated cell; a differentiated cell; and a method for quality evaluation of a pluripotent stem cell.

A method for arterial endothelial-enhanced functional T cell generation is provided. In the method, arterial endothelial cells enhance functional T cell generation by promoting the generation of hematopoietic progenitor cells with T-lineage bias. The first stage of T cell differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is optimized, and it is found that hPSC-derived autologous arterial endothelial cells increase the T cell potential of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Moreover, the T cells generated by arterial endothelial cell priming share similar function to that of human peripheral blood T cells. hPSC-derived CD19-CAR-T cells have been verified to have tumor-killing effects both in vivo and in vitro. The established hPSC-T differentiation system would provide a valuable resource for chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy.