It is an object of the present invention to provide a new compound capable of efficiently inducing differentiation from pluripotent stem cells into insulin-producing cells. The object of the present invention is achieved by a compound represented by formula (I):

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, n and A have the same meanings as defined in the description, respectively, or a salt thereof.

Provided are methods of treating cancer using adoptive cell therapy with T cells modified to have a reduced T cell receptor (TCR) signaling threshold and/or increased TCR sensitivity, and to have improved anti-tumor properties, such as increased cytotoxic activity and reduced susceptibility to immune suppression and/or exhaustion. Also provided are methods of making and compositions comprising such modified T cells.

A method for increasing dendritic cell migration ability, and a use thereof are disclosed. A method according to one aspect can increase the migration ability of mature dendritic cells and increase the induction, by dendritic cells, of inflammatory cytokine production, T lymphocyte proliferation and T lymphocyte polarization, and thus can be used for the prevention or treatment of immune-related diseases.

The present application provides non-naturally occurring 3D brown adipose-derived stem cell (BADSC) aggregates, methods of making the 3D BADSC aggregates, and methods of using the 3D BADSC aggregates.

The present invention generally relates to methods of activating cells for use in therapy. For example, the invention relates to preparing cells ex vivo for use in immunotherapy, particularly cancer immunotherapy. More specifically, the invention relates to methods for the preparation of leukocytes, particularly T cells through PTP1B inhibition, exhibiting cytotoxic properties for use in adoptive cell transfer. The invention also relates to cells and compositions including them for cancer immunotherapy. The invention also relates to methods of immunotherapy, particularly cancer immunotherapy.

The present application provides materials and methods for treating hemoglobinopathies. More specifically, the application provides methods for producing progenitor cells that are genetically modified via genome editing to increase the production of fetal hemoglobin (HbF), as well as modified progenitor cells (including, for example, CD34.sup.+ human hematopoietic stem cells) producing increased levels of HbF, and methods of using such cells for treating hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell anemia and -thalassemia.

Disclosed is a fully chemically defined, small molecule-mediated, directed differentiation system that promotes differentiation of stem cells, including embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and adult stem cells, such as human forms of these stem cell types, to ventricular cardiomyocytes in a highly efficient, reproducible and scalable fashion. Also disclosed is a cost-effective and efficient protocol, or method, for generating cardiomyocytes and a cost-effective and efficient method of maturing cardiomyocytes. The disclosed differentiation system provides a platform to perform large-scale pharmacological screenings and to provide a valuable source of each of cardiac progenitor cells and cardiomyocytes for cell replacement therapies in cardiac repair.

The present invention provides an efficient process for culturing viruses in the presence of an endonuclease and for producing vaccines, typically from live attenuated viruses, under conditions to reduce the presence of host cell DNA and eliminate the need for a post-harvest DNA digestion step.

The present invention relates to methods of producing pancreatic endocrine cells and uses of the cells obtained using the methods. The method utilises inhibitors or combinations of factors to provide increased quantities of endocrine material, for example for transplantation purposes.

The present invention relates to a chemically defined medium for eukaryotic cell culture, comprising water, at least one carbon source, one or more vitamins, one or more salts, one or more fatty acids, one or more buffer components, selenium, at least one substance of the group of Functional Inhibitors of Acid Sphingomyelinase (FIASMAs) and at least one polypeptide of the GF- superfamily with the ability to inhibit stem cell differentiation, its use in the culture of human pluripotent stem cells, a cell culture system comprising human pluripotent stem cells and the chemically defined medium, as well as a kit for proliferation and/or maintenance of human pluripotent stem cells.