A method of generating a population of cells useful for treating a nerve disease or disorder in a subject, the method comprising up-regulating a level of at least one exogenous miRNA in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and/or down-regulating a level of at least one miRNA using a polynucleotide agent that hybridizes to the miRNA, thereby generating the population of cells useful for treating the nerve disease or disorder. Isolated populations of cells with an astrocytic phenotype generated thereby and uses thereof are also provided.

The invention is directed to a method for producing an edible composition, comprising incubating a three-dimensional porous scaffold and a plurality of cell types comprising: myoblasts or progenitor cells thereof, at least one type of extracellular (ECM)-secreting cell and endothelial cells or progenitor cells thereof, and inducing myoblasts differentiation into myotubes.

Differentiation and stability of neural stem cells can be enhanced by in vitro or in vivo culturing with one or more extracellular matrix (ECM) compositions, such as collagen I, IV, laminin and/or a heparan sulfate proteoglycan. In one aspect of the invention, adult mammalian enteric neuronal progenitor cells can be induced to differentiate on various substrates derived from components or combinations of neural ECM compositions. Collagen I and IV supported neuronal differentiation and extensive glial differentiation individually and in combination. Addition of laminin or heparan sulfate to collagen substrates unexpectedly improved neuronal differentiation, increasing neuron number, branching of neuronal processes, and initiation of neuronal network formation. In another aspect, neuronal subtype differentiation was affected by varying ECM compositions in hydrogels overlaid on intestinal smooth muscle sheets. The matrix compositions of the present invention can be used to tissue engineer transplantable innervated GI smooth muscle constructs to remedy aganglionic disorders.

Provided is a technology allowing for production of brain microvascular endothelial-like cells more similar to brain microvascular endothelial cells in vivo. This method of producing brain microvascular endothelial-like cells includes a culturing step of culturing vascular endothelial progenitor cells by using a Laminin511 fragment, Fibronectin, and Collagen type IV.

Methods are disclosed for forming tissue engineered, tubular bowel constructs from intestinal circular smooth muscle cells and enteric neural progenitor cells. The intestinal smooth muscle cells and neural progenitor cells can be seeded on a mold with a surface texture that induces longitudinal alignment of the intestinal smooth muscle cells and co-cultured until an innervated aligned smooth muscle sheet is obtained. The innervated smooth muscle sheet can then be wrapped around a tubular scaffold to form an intestinal tissue construct.

A synthetic skin tissue is served by at least one synthetic blood vessel and includes a physiologically representative population of cells including fibroblasts and keratinocytes, wherein some keratinocytes are in a differentiated state.

Differentiation and stability of neural stem cells can be enhanced by in vitro or in vivo culturing with one or more extracellular matrix (ECM) compositions, such as collagen I, IV, laminin and/or a heparan sulfate proteoglycan. In one aspect of the invention, adult mammalian enteric neuronal progenitor cells can be induced to differentiate on various substrates derived from components or combinations of neural ECM compositions. Collagen I and IV supported neuronal differentiation and extensive glial differentiation individually and in combination. Addition of laminin or heparan sulfate to collagen substrates unexpectedly improved neuronal differentiation, increasing neuron number, branching of neuronal processes, and initiation of neuronal network formation. In another aspect, neuronal subtype differentiation was affected by varying ECM compositions in hydrogels overlaid on intestinal smooth muscle sheets. The matrix compositions of the present invention can be used to tissue engineer transplantable innervated GI smooth muscle constructs to remedy aganglionic disorders.

Differentiation and stability of neural stem cells can be enhanced by in vitro or in vivo culturing with one or more extracellular matrix (ECM) compositions, such as collagen I, IV, laminin and/or a heparan sulfate proteoglycan. In one aspect of the invention, adult mammalian enteric neuronal progenitor cells can be induced to differentiate on various substrates derived from components or combinations of neural ECM compositions. Collagen I and IV supported neuronal differentiation and extensive glial differentiation individually and in combination. Addition of laminin or heparan sulfate to collagen substrates unexpectedly improved neuronal differentiation, increasing neuron number, branching of neuronal processes, and initiation of neuronal network formation. In another aspect, neuronal subtype differentiation was affected by varying ECM compositions in hydrogels overlaid on intestinal smooth muscle sheets. The matrix compositions of the present invention can be used to tissue engineer transplantable innervated GI smooth muscle constructs to remedy aganglionic disorders.

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for stimulating angiogenesis, using cells descended from marrow adherent stromal cells that have been transfected with sequences encoding a Notch intracellular domain. Applications of these methods and compositions include treatment of ischemic disorders such as stroke.

The present disclosure provides methods and compositions, including a placental extract, for inducing and/or modulating angiogenesis; methods of identifying modulators of angiogenesis, and assays for identifying modulators of angiogenesis. The present disclosure also provides methods of making a composition, including a placental extract that can induce and/or modulate angiogenesis.