This disclosure provides a newly developed strategy and particular options for differentiating pluripotent stem cells into cells of the hepatocyte lineage. Many of the protocols are based on a strategy in which the cells are first differentiated into early germ layer cells, then into hepatocyte precursors, and then into mature cells. The cells obtained have morphological features and phenotypic markers characteristic of human adult hepatocytes. They also show evidence of cytochrome p450 enzyme activity, validating their utility for commercial applications such as drug screening, or use in the manufacture of medicaments and medical devices for clinical therapy.

The present invention relates to a method for producing mammalian neural plate border stem cells (NPBSCs), comprising: (a) differentiation of mammalian pluripotent stem cells by (a-i) culturing mammalian pluripotent stem cells in pluripotent stem cell medium for about 24 to about 96 hours, wherein the pluripotent stem cell medium comprises: (i) an inhibitor of the activin/TGF- signalling pathway; (ii) an inhibitor of the BMP signalling pathway; (iii) an activator of the canonical WNT signalling pathway; and (iv) an activator of the Hedgehog signalling pathway; subsequently (a-ii) culturing the cells obtained in step (a-i) for about 24 to about 96 hours in a neural medium, wherein the neural medium comprises: (i) an inhibitor of the Activin/TGF- signalling pathway; (ii) an inhibitor of the BMP signalling pathway; (iii) an activator of the canonical WNT signalling pathway; and (iv) an activator of the Hedgehog signalling pathway; subsequently (a-iii) culturing the cells obtained in step (a-ii) for about 24 to about 96 hours in a neural medium, wherein the neural medium comprises: (i) an activator of the canonical WNT signalling pathway; (ii) an activator of the Hedgehog signalling pathway; and (iii) an inhibitor of oxidation; and (b) plating the obtained differentiated mammalian pluripotent stem cells in NPBSCs expansion medium, wherein the NPBSCs expansion medium comprises (i) an activator of the canonical WNT signalling pathway; (ii) an activator of the Hedgehog signalling pathway; and (iii) an inhibitor of oxidation; and expanding the cells in the NPBSCs expansion medium for about 24 to about 96 hours; (c) splitting the cells obtained in (b) and further expanding the cells in the NPBSCs expansion medium; and (d) repeating step (c) at least two times. The present invention further relates to neural plate border stem cells obtainable by the method of the invention and the use of the cells of the invention in medicine.

The present disclosure provides improved cell culture media for maintaining and expanding immune effector cell and hematopoietic stem or progenitor cell populations.

The present invention investigates the effects of hypertonicity on adipocytes, revealing its role in inducing the release of mitochondrial extracellular vesicles (MEVs). This release subsequently enhances the secretion of TNF-, a pro-inflammatory cytokine crucial during stress responses, thereby activating the Wnt/-catenin signaling pathway responsible for adipocyte dedifferentiation. Through the present method, hypertonicity induces MEVs release and TNF- secretion, ultimately modulating Wnt/-catenin signaling and promoting adipocyte dedifferentiation, offering promising therapeutic implications.

A method of using factor rich product from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells to increase collagen and elastin in adult human skin.

The present disclosure discloses a method for isolating osteoprogenitors like mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from clotted bone marrow and culturing with a platelet lysate obtained from a combination of discarded umbilical cord blood and maternal blood platelet-rich plasma (instead of non-human animal origin serum) and differentiating those MSCs into osteoblasts under sterile conditions for further therapeutic applications. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for expansion of osteoblasts to make cell therapy products with a fixed cell dose, which are characterized and later cryopreserved for future use through its cell culture process. Further, the present disclosure relates to identifying specific gene expression from MSCs to osteoblast formation, an in-vitro differentiation process that replicates the in-vivo bone remodelling system.

The invention provides cell culture conditions for culturing stem cells, including feeder-free conditions for generating and culturing human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). More particularly, the invention provides a culture platform that allows long-term culture of pluripotent cells in a feeder-free environment; reprogramming of cells in a feeder-free environment; single-cell dissociation of pluripotent cells; cell sorting of pluripotent cells; maintenance of an undifferentiated status; improved efficiency of reprogramming; and generation of a nave pluripotent cell.

Factor rich compositions produced from umbilical cord (UC) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are described. Secretory UC MSCs in serum free culture conditions produce a factor rich conditioned medium which may be concentrated and filtered to obtain clinical grade products.

The present disclosure provides improved cell culture media for maintaining and expanding immune effector cell and hematopoietic stem or progenitor cell populations.

The present invention provides a method for producing recombinant growth factors using an algal expression system, which offers advantages over traditional platforms, and the algae-derived growth factors can be used to formulate cell culture media for mammalian cells without the risk of pathogen contamination or endotoxins.