The present invention discloses a serum-free medium and a culture method suitable for culturing human cells. The present invention provides a method of culturing human cells, the method comprising bringing the human cells into contact with polyalkylene glycol modified with a copolymer containing a polyvinylcaprolactam block and a polyvinylacetate block.

This disclosure is directed to, inter alia, methods and systems for preparing oligopotent and unipotent progenitor cells of defined lineages in culture from an expanded source of CD34+ cells, media for making the same, and therapeutic compounds and compositions comprising the same for treatment a variety of diseases included, but not limited to, hematologic disorders, immune diseases, cancers, and infectious diseases.

The present invention relates to a method of culturing primitive macrophages from stem cells. Specifically, the method comprises contacting and incubating stem cells with a serum-free culture media comprising a GSK3 inhibitor to differentiate stem cells into cell of the mesoderm lineage, contacting and incubating cells of the mesoderm lineage with a culture media comprising DKK1 to differentiate the cells into the hematopoietic lineage, maturing the cells of the hematopoietic lineage and contacting and incubating these cells with a culture media comprising M-CSF to drive differentiation into primitive-like macrophages. The invention also relates to a primitive-like macrophage, use of the primitive-like macrophage and a kit when used in the method of the invention.

The present invention provides a method for producing a platelet comprising: (a) a step of culturing a megakaryocyte for at least 6 days in a platelet production medium in which a turbulent flow is generated; and (b) a step of injecting the medium comprising the megakaryocyte that has undergone step (a) into a predetermined platelet production device to expose the megakaryocyte to a laminar flow.

Embodiments disclosed here provide engineered modified hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), artificially prostaglandin E2 (PGE.sub.2)-stimulated HSCs, compositions comprising these HSCs, methods of using these modified HSCs for treating autoimmune diseases and disorders and for suppressing the immune system. In particular, the engineered modified HSCs or PGE.sub.2-stimulated HSCs express the surface marker, programmed cell death-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1).

Provided herein are methods of producing natural killer (NK) cells and/or ILC3 cells using a three-stage expansion and differentiation method with media comprising stem cell mobilizing factors. Also provided herein are methods of suppressing tumor cell proliferation using the NK cells and/or ILC3 cells and the NK cell and/or ILC3 cell populations produced by the three-stage methods described herein, as well as methods of treating individuals having cancer or a viral infection, comprising administering the NK cells and/or ILC3 cells and the NK cell and/or ILC3 cell populations produced by the three-stage methods described herein to an individual having the cancer or viral infection.

The invention provides methods of differentiating primate pluripotent stem cells into cells of hematopoietic lineage. The invention further provides hematopoietic lineage cells differentiated from primate pluripotent stem cells, as well as methods of using the same and kits comprising the same.

The present invention provides a highly functional hypoimmunogenic cell, namely, a hypoimmunogenic human cell (1) lacking an endogenous gene encoding an α chain of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class Ia, (2) lacking an endogenous gene encoding HLA class II or an expression regulator thereof, (3) containing an exogenous gene encoding an α chain of HLA class Ib, (4) containing an exogenous gene encoding human PD-L1, and (5) containing an exogenous gene encoding human PD-L2.

Disclosed herein are methods for producing red blood cells (RBCs) from a population of stem cells and/or progenitor cells. In at least one of the stem cells or progenitor cells, SH2B3 protein activity is decreased, SH2B3 mRNA level is decreased, and/or SH2B3 protein level is decreased. The methods provided herein permit the production of RBCs with increased quantity and/or quality as compared to a method using the same population of stem cells and/or progenitor cells without SH2B3 inhibition or disruption. Also provided herein are methods of use of the RBCs produced using the methods described herein.

In various embodiments methods of producing a cell population enriched for CLEC9A+ dendritic cells are provided where the methods involve culturing stem cells and/or progenitor cells in a cell culture comprising culture medium, a notch ligand, stem cell factor (SCF), FLT3 ligand (FLT3L); thrombopoietin (TPO); and IL-3 and/or GMCSF.