Provided herein is a three-dimensional co-culture of adipocytes and macrophages, wherein, in a hydrogel scaffold containing adipocytes and macrophages, the adipocytes and the macrophages are co-cultured to form a fat-like tissue, which can be then utilized in the studies and medicine development for treating metastatic diseases associated with adipose tissue.

Provided herein is a three-dimensional co-culture of adipocytes and macrophages, wherein, in a hydrogel scaffold containing adipocytes and macrophages, the adipocytes and the macrophages are co-cultured to form a fat-like tissue, which can be then utilized in the studies and medicine development for treating metastatic diseases associated with adipose tissue.

The present invention relates to peptides, nucleic acids and cells for use in immunotherapeutic methods. In particular, the present invention relates to the immunotherapy of cancer. The present invention furthermore relates to tumor-associated cytotoxic T cell (CTL) peptide epitopes, alone or in combination with other tumor-associated peptides that serve as active pharmaceutical ingredients of vaccine compositions that stimulate anti-tumor immune responses. The present invention relates to 11 novel peptide sequences and their variants derived from HLA class I and class II molecules of human tumor cells that can be used in vaccine compositions for eliciting anti-tumor immune responses.

A composition containing biocompatible hydrogel encapsulating mammalian cells and anti-inflammatory drugs is disclosed. The encapsulated cells have reduced fibrotic overgrowth after implantation in a subject. The compositions contain a biocompatible hydrogel having encapsulated therein mammalian cells and anti-inflammatory drugs or polymeric particles loaded with anti-inflammatory drugs. The anti-inflammatory drugs are released from the composition after transplantation in an amount effective to inhibit fibrosis of the composition for at least ten days. Methods for identifying and selecting suitable anti-inflammatory drug-loaded particles to prevent fibrosis of encapsulated cells are also described. Methods of treating a disease in a subject are also disclosed that involve administering a therapeutically effective amount of the disclosed encapsulated cells to the subject.

The present invention relates to an in vitro immune synapse system and a method of in vitro evaluating immune response using the same. The in vitro immune synapse system includes antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and at least one cell type of several specific T cell subtypes isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), all of which is from a same individual of pigs. When a test sample is co-cultured in the in vitro immune synapse system for a given period, it can be determined that the test sample is immunogenic, immunostimulatory or not according to the immunization-related changes of these cells, thereby potentially replacing some kinds of animal experimentation.

Systems, compositions, and methods for the treatment of a liver disorder is disclosed. The systems, compositions, and methods include use of activated T regulatory cells for alleviating, treating, or reducing a liver disorder. The T regulatory cells may be allogeneic T regulatory cells that may be present in an amount of about 510.sup.5 to 210.sup.6 cells. The liver disorder needing treatment may be hepatitis, cirrhosis, chronic liver disease, acute liver disease, or liver failure.

Herein is reported a method for producing a thymocyte supernatant comprising the steps of co-cultivating thymocytes and mononuclear cells at a cell ratio of at least 0.5:1.2 in the presence of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate and Phytohemagglutinin M for up to 60 hours, and separating the co-cultivation medium from the cells and thereby producing the thymocyte supernatant.

The disclosure provides methods and compositions for affecting the development of antigen presenting cell (APC, e.g., a macrophage or dendritic cell). The methods include maturing an APC, promoting anti-inflammatory phenotype, promoting development of a T regulatory cell (Treg) from a naive T cell. The methods generally include exposing an APC to a tryptophan derived microbiota metabolite (TDMM), such as an anti-inflammatory or pro-mucosal TDMM, and permitting the APC to mature. In some embodiments, the conditioned APC is exposed to a naive T cell to further promote development of a T regulatory cell (Treg). In some embodiments, the TDMM is selected from the group consisting of indole, indole-3-acetate, 5-hydroxyindole, and indole-3-pyruvate.

Methods and compositions for simulating a dermal compartment of skin are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, methods of producing such a skin model include the steps of admixing a collagenous protein source, a blood protein source, and dermal cells in an aqueous carrier, and then allowing the resulting mixture to solidify to produce a gel. In one technique, at least a portion of the mixture, e.g., the collagenous protein source is first heated and then cooled to induce gelation. For example, the mixture can be heated to at least 50 degrees C. and then cooled to temperature below 5 degrees C. to induce gelation.

The invention is directed to three-dimensional, engineered, bioprinted biological tissue constructs exhibiting a liver disorder, methods of making the constructs, and use of the constructs in assays, such as drug testing and molecular diagnostic testing, including methods of assessing the ability of a candidate therapeutic agent to reverse, reduce, or prevent a liver disorder, and methods for biomarker discovery.