Provided is a composition comprising a total dry weight of proteins and amino acids in of at least 80%; and wherein at least 95 wt % of said proteins have a mass of from about 70 to about 5,000 Daltons. Further provided is a growth medium comprising the composition, methods for the manufacture of the composition and uses thereof.

Provided is a differentiation-inducing culture medium additive for inducing bone differentiation of at least one type of cell selected from the group consisting of a stem cell, a dental pulp cell, a periodontal ligament cell, a placenta, an amnion, and a fibroblast under a serum-free condition, and a use of the differentiation-inducing culture medium additive. The differentiation-inducing culture medium additive of the present invention for inducing differentiation of a stem cell under a serum-free condition at least contains at least one growth factor selected from the group consisting of EGF, FGF, and PDGF; dexamethasone; and -glycerophosphate. The differentiation-inducing culture medium additive of the present invention does not require ascorbic acid 2-phosphate and ITS, which are normally essential for bone differentiation. Further, bone differentiation can be promoted by adding phospholipid.

Provided herein are methods of using adherent placental stem cells and placental stem cell populations, and methods of culturing, proliferating and expanding the same. Also provided herein are methods of differentiating the placental stem cells. Further provided herein are methods of using the placental stem cells to formulate implantable or injectable compositions suitable for administration to a subject. Still further provided herein are provides methods for treating bone defects with stem cells and compositions comprising stem cells.

A method of generating MSCs which secrete neurotrophic factors (NTFs) comprising incubating a population of undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a differentiating medium comprising basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), heregulin and cAMP.

The present invention relates to a medium composition containing an Ecklonia cava extract for dedifferentiation an induced pluripotent stem cell. Also, the present invention relates to a method for differentiating an induced pluripotent stem cell produced by using the medium composition into osteoblasts. When using the medium composition according to the present invention, induced pluripotent stem cells using mesenchymal stem cells can be produced efficiently, and the pluripotent stem cells which have been produced can be useful as a cell treatment agent by being capable of being differentiated into osteoblasts.

A method of generating MSCs which secrete neurotrophic factors (NTFs) comprising incubating a population of undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a differentiating medium comprising basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), heregulin and cAMP.

A culture for the fermentative production of Massoia lactone comprising an Aureobasidium melanogenum species in a culture medium, wherein the Aureobasidium melanogenum species expresses no functional Aureobasidin A synthase gene mRNA when cultured, the culture medium including KH.sub.2PO.sub.4, Na.sub.2HPO.sub.4, (NH.sub.4).sub.2SO.sub.4, MgSO.sub.4.Math.7H.sub.2O and CaCl.sub.2.Math.2H.sub.2O; at least two trace elements selected from the group consisting of Fe.sup.2+, Cu.sup.2+, Zn.sup.2+ and MoO.sub.4.sup.2; urea; and a carbon source selected from the group consisting of glucose, mannose, xylose and mixtures thereof, wherein the culture medium has a pH from 5.5 to 6.5.

There is provided a method of selectively differentiating mesenchymal stem cells into a first predetermined cell lineage associated with the nuclear localization of Yes-associated protein (YAP) or into a second predetermined cell lineage associated with the cytoplasmic localization of YAP. The curvature of the nucleus is controlled to have a maximum nuclear curvature (Kmax) of at least 0.5 ?m.sup.?1 to select for the first predetermined cell lineage, or a Kmax that does not exceed 0.5 ?m.sup.?1 to select for the second predetermined cell lineage. The mesenchymal stem cells having a controlled nuclear curvature are incubated in a media with or without differentiation additives to obtain the first predetermined cell lineage or the second predetermined cell lineage.

A method for cultivating Gamma Delta T cells for immunotherapy, said method comprising: (i) obtaining peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) from a donor; (ii) optionally, isolating said MNCs by centrifugation; (iii) culturing said MNCs in a basal medium comprising fetal bovine serum, albumin and L-Glutamine; (iv) adding zoledronate to the medium; (v) adding a Interleukin-2 (IL-2) to the medium; and (vi) removing and replacing a portion of the medium with fresh medium.

The invention provides tissue culture system for primary cells (e.g. normal mammalian primary epithelial progenitors). This system includes: a) a serum-free, chemically defined cell culture media; and, b) methods for isolation and in vitro long-term propagation of primary cells (e.g. primary epithelial cells). Primary cells so isolated and cultured can be kept undifferentiated and proliferate for many weeks (>15 weeks) or population doubling (>35 PD) without senescence, or any detectable genetic alterations. Upon changing media/culture conditions, these cells can be induced to differentiate.

The invention also provides methods to transform normal primary cells so cultured into cancer stem cells. The genetically defined cancer stem cell tumor model mimics the behavior of the disease closely, e.g., the cells are invasive, hormone responsive and metastatic when injected into mice. The tumor cells express genes that are specific to cancer stem cells identified in patient samples.