The present invention provides a novel repair agent for damaged tissue that brings about a notably high effect of repairing damaged tissue, as compared with conventional repair agents for damaged tissue, and a method for producing such a repair agent. A method for producing a repair agent for damaged tissue of the present invention includes the step of culturing mesenchymal stem cells in a serum-free medium at an oxygen concentration of less than 5%.

Provided are methods for generating γδ T cells from induced pluripotent stem cells. Also provided are genetically engineered iPSCs, γδ T cells, CAR-γδ T cells, and methods of using the same.

Provided are method for generating αβ T cells from induced pluripotent stem cells. Also provided are genetically engineered iPSCs, αβ T cells, CAR-αβ T cells, and methods of using the same.

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 relates to a method for preparing a culture medium containing exosomes released by umbilical cord blood stem cells. The preparation method is based on culturing the umbilical cord blood stem cells in a serum-free medium supplemented with GDF-11, EGF, FGF2, TFG-β1, and/or VEGF. The culture medium produced by treating umbilical cord blood stem cells with a serum-free medium supplemented with 5 types of growth factors and the exosomes isolated from the culture medium has a higher total protein content and extracellular matrix protein content, when compared to a culture medium produced by culturing umbilical cord blood stem cells in a serum-free medium to which the growth factor is not added. In addition, exosomes released by umbilical cord blood stem cells cultured in a serum-free medium containing five growth factors have a high concentration, a small size, and an even distribution.

The umbilical cord blood stem cell culture medium prepared according to the present invention contains a high content of high-potency exosomes and has a high skin regeneration and/or anti-inflammatory effect, so it can be used in a cosmetic composition for skin application requiring skin penetration and a pharmaceutical composition for wound treatment.

The present invention chiefly aims to provide a new differentiation inducing agent (peptide) that can solve the previous problems in inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells such as ES/iPS cells into somatic cells (e.g., cardiomyocytes).

The present invention can include, for example, a synthetic peptide having, in the molecular structure thereof, an amino acid sequence represented by the following (SEQ ID NO: 1), or an amino acid sequence formed by substitution, deletion and/or addition of one or several amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence. It can also include, for example, a composition for inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into somatic cells, comprising said synthetic peptide.

TABLE-US-00001 (SEQ ID No. 1) C A X X L X X L X X X L X X L X G X X X X X X X X X X X X X X L X X X L X X L X X A C                                                                  • • • 

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.

Methods, compositions and kits for producing functional chondrocytes, skeletal cells, bone marrow stromal cells, and progenitor cells thereof are provided. These methods, compositions and kits find use in producing chondrocytes, osteoblasts, stromal cells, and progenitor cells thereof in vivo, or in vitro for transplantation, for experimental evaluation, as a source of lineage- and cell-specific products, and the like, for example for use in treating human disorders of the cartilage, bone and hematopoietic system. In some embodiments, specific combinations of protein factors are identified for reprogramming non-skeletal cells into bones, hematopoietic stroma, and chondrocytes, which may be provided in vitro or in vivo.

Vascularizing cell aggregates or tissue segments in a microfluidic device by filling a chamber within the device with a matrix that allows for endothelial sprouting; creating at least three voids within the matrix, of which at least two outer voids are lumenally connected to separate perfusion paths within the device and at least one additional void is positioned in between the at least two outer voids; endothelializing the at least two outer voids; introducing at least one cell type, matrix material, tissue segment, or combinations thereof into the void between the two outer voids; and using vascular growth factors to induce the endothelial cells to sprout into the matrix until the at least three voids are interconnected by endothelial sprouts.

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.