This application discloses alginate microencapsulation-mediated differentiation of embryonic stem cells and use of the stem cell differentiation method for the development of effective treatment of various diseases and disorders. The microencapsulation of embryonic stem (ES) cells results in decreased cell aggregation and enhanced neural lineage differentiation through incorporating the soluble inducer retinoic acid (RA) into the permeable microcapsule system. This differentiation process can be augmented by differentiation pathway regulators such as PPAR agonists.

The disclosure provides a method of delivering a polypeptide molecule to an Otx2 target cell, including contacting the target cell with a chimeric polypeptide having (i) a targeting peptide consisting of SEQ ID NO: 2 and (ii) the polypeptide molecule.

Disclosed herein are methods of producing pancreatic hormone-expressing cells by first differentiating pluripotent cells in cell culture so as to produce endodermal cells, the endodermal cells being competent to further differentiate into hormone-expressing cells capable of secreting at least one pancreatic hormone in response to a physiological signal, and then, transplanting the cultured endodermal cells into an organism, such as an organism in need of an endocrine cell therapy.

The present invention relates to methods that are based on expression of integrin alpha10 and integrin alpha11 on chondrocytes, used for determining purity, quality, degree of chondrocytic identity, chondrocytic potency, and/or degree of chondrocytic phenotype of a composition comprising chondrocytes, as well as for isolating and enriching a population of high quality chondrocytes and controlling culturing and expanding of high quality chondrocytes. The present invention relates also to composition comprising chondrocytes.

An anti-CEACAM1 antibody includes at least one antibody heavy chain (V.sub.H) domain having antigen binding sites CDR1.sup.H, CDR2.sup.H and CDR3.sup.H, and at least one antibody light chain (V.sub.L) domain having antigen binding sites CDR1.sup.L, CDR2.sup.L and CDR3.sup.L. The antigen binding site CDR2.sup.H has a sequence homology of at least 80% to the amino acid sequence WINTYTGEPT (SEQ ID No. 21).

The present invention provides systems for cell separation based on cell rolling on surfaces along edges of regions coated with cell adhesion molecules. A variety of designs of coated regions and edges are disclosed.

The present invention concerns enriched heterogenerous mammalian renal cell populations characterized by biomarkers, and methods of making and using the same.

An agent for directional control of differentiation induction of a pluripotent stem cell, which contains an E-cadherin inhibitor, and its uses are disclosed. A method for controlling the directionality of differentiation induction of a pluripotent stem cell is also disclosed. The method includes a step of culturing a pluripotent stem cell in a medium comprising an E-cadherin inhibitor.

The present disclosure provides a method for generating a T cell lineage population from progenitor T cells. The method comprises culturing the progenitor cells in the presence of Notch signalling ligand, such as Delta-like-4 (DL4), provided on a surface area of at least 7 square centimetres per millilitre culture volume (7 cm.sup.2/mL). Population of cells produced using the method are provided as well as methods of using same. Further provided is a method of differentiating a progenitor T cell population enriched for CD4CD8+ TCR+ cells comprising culturing progenitor T cells in the presence of Notch signalling ligand, such as DL4, provided on a surface area of 0.78 to 4.7 cm.sup.2/mL.

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for providing hematopoietic function to human patients in need thereof, by selecting a pool of expanded human cord blood stem/progenitor cell samples for administration to the patient, wherein the samples in the pool collectively do not mismatch the patient at more than 2 of the HLA antigens or alleles typed in the patient; and administering the selected pool of expanded human cord blood stem/progenitor cell samples to the patient. Methods for obtaining the pools of expanded human cord blood stem/progenitor cell samples, banks of frozen pools of expanded human umbilical cord blood stem/progenitor cell samples, and methods for producing such banks are also provided herein.