The disclosure relates to in vitro cultures of human hepatocytes, and in particular co-cultures systems including human hepatocytes, non-parenchymal cells, and human endothelial cells, and the use of the co-cultures in developing and screening drugs.

Disclosed is a method for producing pluripotent stem cell-enriched human dental pulp-derived cells. The method is characterized in that it includes (a) culturing a dental pulp suspension in a feeder cells-culture vessel containing feeder cells whose proliferative ability is suppressed, on a membrane having micropores that can block passage of the feeder cells and supported in the feeder cells-culture vessel in a manner to prevent the lower side face thereof from contacting with the feeder cells, thereby preventing direct contact with the feeder cells, and, (b) a step for recovering the cells proliferating on the membrane.

A method for preparing a thin film polymer structure having a functional substance on an A surface and a B surface of the film, the polymer structure being obtained by: (a) adsorbing polyfunctional molecules to a region of an arbitrary shape in an interface between a substrate body and a liquid phase; (b) polymerizing and/or crosslinking the adsorbing polyfunctional molecules to form a polymer thin film; (c) bonding a functional substance to the A surface of the formed thin film and then forming a soluble support film on the A surface; (d) exfoliating the thin film and the soluble support film from the substrate body; and (e) bonding to the B surface of the thin film a functional substance identical to or different from the functional substance bonded to the A surface and then dissolving the soluble support film with a solvent.

The present invention provides systems for cell separation based on cell rolling on surfaces along edges of regions coated with cell adhesion molecules. A variety of designs of coated regions and edges are disclosed.

The present invention relates to a functional cell sheet using an electroactive conductive polymer and a method of preparing the same, and more particularly, to a cell sheet for tissue engineering which is a growth factor-immobilized cell sheet formed in a single-layer or 3D multilayer form and a composition for inducing osteogenic differentiation including the same.

There is provided a masking sheet that is used for patterning cells or cell aggregates, which are formed on a culture surface. The masking sheet has the adhesive layer that is adhered to a culture surface, the support layer that is laminated on the adhesive layer to support the adhesive layer, and the opening portion that penetrates through the adhesive layer and the support layer and corresponds to a pattern of the cells or cell aggregates.

This invention describes a cell growth apparatus, particularly neuronal printed circuit board apparatus comprising an aerogel base and a pre-printed cellular growth pattern. The cellular growth pattern is comprised of combinations of layers of cellular adhesion promoting materials, cellular adhesion inhibiting materials, and/or cellular signal promoting materials. The invention further describes methods of promoting cell growth using the neuronal printed circuit board apparatus of the invention. The invention is useful for regeneration and precise guidance of cells, particularly nerve cells, when used as an implant.

A thin film polymer structure having a functional substance on the face (A surface) and reverse face (B surface) of the film, obtained by the steps of: (a) causing polyfunctional molecules to adsorb to an area of an arbitrary shape in an interface between a substrate body and a liquid phase; (b) polymerizing and/or crosslinking the adsorbing polyfunctional molecules to form a polymer thin film; (c) bonding a functional substance to the A surface of the formed thin film and then (d) forming a soluble support film thereon; exfoliating the thin film and the soluble support film from the substrate body; (e) bonding to the B surface of the thin film a functional substance identical to or different from the abovementioned functional substance and then dissolving the soluble support film with a solvent.

Methods for determining cell chirality using micropatterned substrates are disclosed. Also provided are methods for diagnosing diseases such as genetic diseases or cancer by comparing the chirality of sample cells from a subject with normal cells, and determining a difference in chirality between the sample cells and normal cells.

A carrier for expansion of pluripotent stem cells is provided, wherein the carrier comprises a substrate comprising one or more outer surfaces, wherein the one or more outer surfaces are modified with gas plasma treatment, and one or more structured indentations on one or more of the outer surfaces. The carrier has a length at least about 0.2 mm, a width at least about 0.2 mm, and a height in a range from about 0.05 mm to 1.2 mm and each of the structured indentations has a major axis in a range from about 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, a minor axis in a range from about 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm and a depth in a range from about 0.025 mm to about 0.5 mm. A method of making the carrier, and culturing stromal cells using the same carrier are also provided.