Cells derived from postpartum tissue and products thereof having the potential to support cells of and/or differentiate to cells of a soft tissue lineage, and methods of preparation and use of those postpartum tissue-derived cells, are provided by the invention. The invention also provides methods for the use of such postpartum-derived cells and products related thereto in therapies for conditions of soft tissue.

Methods for obtaining purified populations of megakaryocytes and platelets by ex vivo culture of stem cells are provided herein.

The present invention relates to methods of constructing an integrated artificial immune system that comprises appropriate in vitro cellular and tissue constructs or their equivalents to mimic the normal tissues that interact with vaccines in mammals. The artificial immune system can be used to test the efficacy of vaccine candidates in vitro and thus, is useful to accelerate vaccine development and testing drug and chemical interaction with the immune system.

Provided is a method of causing a cell to migrate to a scaffold. Also provided is a method of treating a mammal that has a tissue defect. Further provided is a tissue scaffold comprising platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Additionally, a method of making a tissue scaffold capable of recruiting a cell is provided.

Cells derived from postpartum placenta and methods for their isolation are provided by the invention. The invention further provides cultures and compositions of the placenta-derived cells. The placenta-derived cells of the invention have a plethora of uses, including but not limited to research, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications.

Methods for obtaining purified populations of megakaryocytes and platelets by ex vivo culture of stem cells are provided herein.

Cells derived from postpartum umbilicus and placenta are disclosed. Pharmaceutical compositions, devices and methods for the regeneration or repair of neural tissue using the postpartum-derived cells are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a method of inducing the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies into ectoderm by CXCR2 stimulation, and more particularly, to a method of promoting the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies into ectoderm by stimulating and activating the surface receptor CXCR2 of the embryoid bodies with the CXCR2-specific ligand GRO-. The method of inducing the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies into ectoderm by CXCR2 stimulation according to the present invention can increase the efficiency and utility of stem cells as a cell therapeutic agent, because it promotes the differentiation of stem cells into a specific germ layer serving as the origin of target cells, which is the first important step for inducing the differentiation of stem cells into specific cells.

The invention provides a novel anticancer therapeutic having a high effect against solid cancers, lacking the side effects of chemotherapeutics, and being unlikely to cause resistance. Provided is a pharmaceutical composition for cancer treatment prepared by a method having: a stem cell production step for making immortalized stem cells by introducing four types of genes into deciduous tooth dental pulp stem cells obtained from the dental pulp of mammals; and a condition medium preparation step for culturing the immortalized stem cells for a predetermined length of time in serum-free medium at 23-27 C. under conditions of low oxygen concentration at an oxygen concentration of from 0.5% to less than 20%, the pharmaceutical composition containing 1.5 times or more of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) than is contained in condition medium prepared when culturing at an oxygen concentration of 20% and otherwise identical conditions.

Disclosed herein are modified NK cells, compositions comprising modified NK cells, and methods for treating a tumor or hyperproliferative disease in a subject. In some embodiments, the modified NK cells include NK cells including a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding a CD16 protein comprising a valine at amino acid position 158 (CD16-V158), a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding a CCR7 protein, or both. In some embodiments, methods include treating a subject with a tumor by administering a composition comprising an anti-cancer monoclonal antibody and administering a composition comprising the modified NK cells to the subject. Also disclosed are methods of making modified NK cells by obtaining a population of NK cells from a subject and transfecting the population of NK cells with a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding CD16-V158, a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding a CCR7 protein, or both.