The present invention relates to a new method for treating human or animal tissue such as cartilage, particularly damaged tissue. More specifically, the invention relates to a method to obtain material for treating the damaged tissue, for example any cartilage damage, in particular as a result of traumatic or degenerative cartilage damage.

The present invention relates to a method for producing astrocytes comprising obtaining neural progenitor cells from stem cells so as to continuously produce astrocytes with high purity and same traits, followed by two steps of differentiating the neural progenitor cells into the astrocytes, and astrocytes produced therefrom. Since the method of preparing the astrocytes provided in the present invention enables not only production of the astrocytes with high purity and faster production of the astrocytes with same characteristics, but also rapid differentiation of the astrocytes using the neural progenitor cells when necessary, it can be widely used for effectively treating a patient with a disease which requires transplantation of the astrocytes.

The invention provides a quiescent stem cell having the capacity to differentiate into ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm, and which does not express cell surface markers including MHC class I, MHC class II, CD44, CD45, CD13, CD34, CD49c, CD73, CD105 and CD90. The invention further provides a proliferative stem cell, which expresses genes including Oct-4, Nanog, Sox2, GDF3, P16INK4, BMI, Notch, HDAC4, TERT, Rex-1 and TWIST but does not express cell surface markers including MHC class I, MHC class II, CD44, CD45, CD13, CD34, CD49c, CD73, CD105 and CD90. The cells of the invention can be isolated from adult mammals, have embryonic cell characteristics, and can form embryoid bodies. Methods for obtaining the stem cells, as well as methods of treating diseases and the differentiated stem cells, are also provided.

Disclosed herein are methods, compositions and kits for treating cardiac stem cells to be administered to a subject in need thereof, e.g., with a damaged myocardium. The methods, composition and kits of the invention can be used to treat cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, myocardial infarction and an age-related cardiomyopathy.

This document provides methods and materials relating to cardiac cells. For example, this document provides methods and materials that can be used to obtain cells having the ability to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. Such cells can be used to repair damaged heart tissue. For example, cells having the ability to differentiate into cardiomyocytes can be used to repair or regenerate heart tissue in patients with a cardiac condition (e.g., ischemic cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, or heart failure).

Methods, kits, compositions, and systems are provided for culturing pluripotent stem cells to produce populations of cells comprising beta-like cells (e.g., pancreatic lineage, glucose-responsive, and/or insulin-producing). In particular, culture conditions are provided that result in the generation of beta-like cells from a starting culture of human pluripotent stem 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 disclosure relates to stem cells and their therapeutic use in the treatment and/or prevention of pancreatic diseases or disorders. Provided herein are compositions comprising c-kit positive pancreatic stem cells and methods of preparing and using c-kit positive pancreatic stem cells for the treatment and/or prevention of pancreatic diseases or disorders.

The present invention provides a novel oocyte maturation medium or/and embryo culture medium with a chemically defined supplement to produce matured oocytes at high efficiency. The inventive medium or supplement comprises three growth factors, namely, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in a synergistic combination. Methods for oocyte and embryo culture are also provided.

A method of generating human mature oligodendrocytes is disclosed. The method comprises contacting a cell population which comprises human pre-oligodendrocytes with an inhibitor of the MAPK/ERK pathway under conditions that allow the pre-oligodendrocytes to differentiate into mature oligodendrocytes. Use of the MAPK/ERK pathway inhibitor for treating diseases is also disclosed.