Well-defined, xeno-free culture media which comprise a TGF-beta isoform or the chimera formed between IL6 and the soluble IL6 receptor (IL6RIL6), which are capable of maintaining stem cells, and particularly, human embryonic stem cells, in an undifferentiated state are provided. Also provided are cell cultures comprising the culture media and the stem cells and methods of expanding and deriving embryonic stem cells in such well-defined, xeno-free culture media. In addition, the present invention provides methods of differentiating ESCs or EBs formed therefrom for the generation of lineage specific cells.

Platelet lysate compositions and cell culture media compositions for maintaining and/or growing mammalian cells, such as mammalian endothelial cells (ECs) and mammalian endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), in particular human ECs (huECs) and human EPCs (huEPCs), such as primary huECs and primary huEPCs, are provided. The cell culture media compositions contain a basal medium, a platelet lysate and, optionally, one or more exogenously added growth factors. Also provided are methods for making and using such cell culture media compositions to grow and/or maintain ECs and EPCs, including huECs and huEPCs, as well as cell culture vessels, dishes, plates, and/or flasks pretreated with the cell culture media compositions.

The present application discloses a cell culture media for growth, maintenance and induction of reversion to a less mature state of a cell comprising a MUC1* activating ligand.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cell culture medium capable of enhancing cell growth efficiency without using feeder cells, in particular which does not comprise serum. The present invention provides a cell culture medium which comprises growth arrest-specific 6 (GAS6) and does not comprise serum.

Embodiments herein provide methods of differentiating neural stem cells to neuronal cells while concomitantly retarding neural stem cell proliferation. Resultant cultures demonstrate reduced clumping of cells, increased purity of neuronal cells and accelerated electrophysiology as compared to control methods.

Methods and composition for production of T cells are provided. Also provided are therapeutic methods using engineered T cells. For example, in certain aspects methods include preparing three dimensional cell culture compositions comprising stroma cells and hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells in a serum-free medium for producing T cells.

A method of making a composition for influencing biological growth includes obtaining a sample comprising human umbilical cord blood and having a first volume V.sub.UC, combining the sample with a quantity of PrepaCyte-CB or the equivalent having a volume V.sub.PC, wherein the ratio V.sub.UC/V.sub.PC is between about 0.60 and about 1.75 such that a supernatant is formed, layering within a container at least a portion of the supernatant over a layer of a reagent configured for isolating mononuclear cells, the at least a portion of the supernatant having a volume V.sub.S and the layer of the reagent having a volume V.sub.R, wherein the volume of the layer of the reagent V.sub.R is at least 67% the volume V.sub.S of the at least a portion of the supernatant, placing a sufficient centrifugal force on the contents of the container to cause at least a new layer substantially comprising mononuclear cells to form, combining at least some of the layer substantially comprising mononuclear cells with lactated Ringer's solution or the equivalent to create a mononuclear cell solution, determining the total number of live cells N.sub.L in at least a portion of the mononuclear cell solution, the at least a portion of the mononuclear solution having a volume V.sub.M, and adding a volume V.sub.D of Low Molecular Weight Dextran in Dextrose solution to the at least a portion of the mononuclear cell solution, the volume V.sub.D based at least in part on the total number of live cells N.sub.L.

The invention describes improved methods and compositions for producing a recombinant protein, e.g., an antibody, in mammalian cell culture. In addition, the invention provides improved cell culture media, including improved production media, feed solutions, and combination feeds, which may be used to improve protein productivity in mammalian cell culture.

The disclosure relates to methods for producing mesodermal lineage cells, cardiac lineage cells, hematopoietic lineage cells, retinal lineage cells, and combinations thereof. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to methods of producing mixed tissue organoids comprising retinal lineage cells and cardiac lineage cells. When interaction of WDR5 protein at the binding pocket/interaction surface with RBBP5/MYC/KANSL2 is disrupted in the embryonic stem cell for a set period of time after differentiation of the embryonic stem cell has begun, and the disruption of that interaction is subsequently removed, differentiation of the embryonic stem cell to a mesodermal lineage cell is obtained. Such mesodermal lineage cells may, in some methods of the disclosure, be subsequently differentiated into cardiac lineage cells and hematopoietic lineage cells. The disclosure also relates to method for producing mixed lineage organoids, comprising retinal and mesodermal, including cardiac, lineage cells in a single organoid. The disclosure also relates to cells and organoids obtained by the methods, uses of the cells and organoids, and kits comprising the cells and/or reagents for producing them.

This document provides methods and materials relating to platelet lysates. For example, methods and materials for using platelet lysate compositions to grow adult stem cells, to differentiate adult stem cells, to grow primary cell cultures, to grow tumor stem cells, and to identify effective growth factors are provided.