The invention provides a microfluidic device comprising at least one cell culture chamber, the at least one cell culture chamber being connected to at least two openings, the device being configured to supply at least one physiologically active substance from at least one of the openings to the at least one cell culture chamber in such a manner as to form a concentration gradient or concentration gradients in the at least one chamber when cells and a hydrogel are introduced into the at least one cell culture chamber to culture the cells in a 3D-gel medium.

The disclosure provides a human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell sheet comprising one or more layers of confluent human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs). The disclosure also provides method for producing hUC-MSC sheets comprising culturing hUC-MSCs in culture solution on a temperature-responsive polymer which has been coated onto a substrate surface of a cell culture support, wherein the temperature-responsive polymer has a lower critical solution temperature in water of 0-80° C.; adjusting the temperature of the culture solution to below the lower critical solution temperature, whereby the substrate surface is made hydrophilic and adhesion of the cell sheet to the surface is weakened; and detaching the cell sheet from the culture support.

A cell culture microcarrier bead is proposed. The microcarrier bead comprises a bead body having its surface flecked with plasmonic nanoparticles. In a second aspect, the invention relates to a cell culture reactor, containing a cell culture medium and the proposed microcarrier beads. A third aspect of the invention concerns a method for observing living cells on such microcarrier beads. Yet a further aspect of the invention relates to a method for packing nanoparticles on a carrier body.

The present invention relates to a cell culture support comprising a substrate and a polymeric blend layer bound to the substrate. The polymeric blend layer comprises at least one thermoresponsive polymer and at least one coupling agent. The coupling agent is a non-protein coupling agent that has functional thiol, ester, epoxy, or aldehyde groups. The cell culture support further includes cells supported by the polymeric blend layer, wherein the thermoresponsive polymer provides for temperature induced detachment of the cells and/or cell sheets.

The present disclosure relates to agarose and methylcellulose storage and transport mediums, systems for cell storage and transport, and cell storage and transport methods. The instantly-disclosed agarose and methylcellulose storage and transport medium is ideally suited for 3D spheroid cell culture storage and transport. In particular aspects, the storage and transport mediums, systems, and methods are used in combination with or performed in labware that combine 3D spheroid culture with a gas permeable, micro-patterned design that allows for protection and prolonged maintenance of spheroid cell (e.g. hepatocytes) viability and functionality during storage and transport.

Provided is a method for manufacturing cell-containing blocks having steps of: preparing an standardized size mold by 3D printing (three dimensional printing) using a biocompatible elastic material; injecting a thermosensitive colloid into the mold to form a thermosensitive mold; injecting a hydrogel containing cells in to the thermosensitive mold and curing the hydrogel containing cells to form the cell-containing blocks; separating the thermosensitive mold and the cell-containing blocks at a temperature higher than a solidifying point of the thermosensitive colloid. Also provided are method for assembling the cell-containing blocks in a target configuration by using an assembling mold defining the target configuration and made of a thermoreversible material.

The present invention relates to a cancer cell-targeted drug delivery carrier, a composition for promoting photo-thermal treatment effects, and the like, which contain M1 macrophages as an active ingredient. The drug delivery carrier of the present invention uses the M1 macrophages mobility to tumor cells and the M1 macrophage penetrability into tumors, and can deliver drugs specifically to tumor and cancer tissues only, and, when performing photo-thermal treatment by loading M1 macrophages with a photosensitive material, can significantly increase the effects, and thus is expected to be effectively used for promoting cancer treatment effects.

The present disclosure provides a surface coating comprising a hydrophilic polymer and polyelectrolyte multilayers. Also provided is a cell culture system comprising a cell culture article having a surface coated with the surface coating. Uses and methods of preparing the surface coatings and systems are provided as well.

The present invention relates to a composite membrane. The composite membrane includes: an elastic polymer substrate having a first surface processed by a surface modification; and a thermosensitive conductive layer formed on the first surface by performing a co-polymerization process, allowing an electrical current to pass through, and altering a hydrophilicity of a membrane surface in response to a change of a temperature.

A method of culturing adherent cells in suspension is provided that includes culturing adherent cells on a first substrate in a first suspension, harvesting the adherent cells from the first substrate, and transfecting the harvested adherent cells using electro-poration. The method also includes, after the step of transfecting, suspending the transfected adherent cells in a second suspension. A dissolution process for dissolving the second microcarrier particle to harvest the cells or cell products is also provided. This dissolution process includes adding a chelator, such as EDTA, to the second suspension for a predetermined time to separate the cells from the second microcarrier; and isolating the cells or cell products from a remainder of the second suspension after the predetermined time. The dissolution process is performed without enzymes such as pectinase or protease.