The present disclosure provides a method of producing a population of lyophilized cells, comprising: (a) freezing a composition comprising a population of cells, an aqueous component, a polyol, a sugar, and a polysaccharide; and (b) removing at least 90% of the aqueous component from the frozen composition to produce the population of lyophilized cells. On some embodiments, the disclosure provides a method of producing a population of reconstituted viable cells, comprising: (a) freezing a composition comprising a population of cells, an aqueous component, a polyol, a sugar, and a polysaccharide; (b) removing at least 90% of the aqueous component from the frozen composition to produce the population of lyophilized cells, and (c) resuspending the population of lyophilized cells in a reconstitution agent to form a reconstituted composition, wherein at least 1% of the cells are viable.

Provided is a cell structure including: a connective tissue structure; and an epithelial structure placed on the connective tissue structure, in which the connective tissue structure contains a fragmented extracellular matrix component and first cells including mesenchymal cells, at least a part of the fragmented extracellular matrix component is placed between the first cells, and the epithelial structure contains epithelial cells.

The present invention includes a functionalized nerve guidance conduit (NGC), methods of making neurotrophic factor-expressing neural crest stem-like cells (NCSC) and/or Schwann cell precursor-like (SCP) cells, methods of making the functionalized nerve guidance conduit, and methods of treating nerve injury using the functionalized nerve guidance conduit.

The present invention relates to a method for fabrication of an extracellular matrix-induced self-assembly and to fabrication of an artificial tissue using same. The method for fabrication of an extracellular matrix-induced self-assembly comprise the steps of: (a) decellularizing and powdering a tissue-derived extracellular matrix (ECM); and (b) adding the decellularized extracellular matrix powder to cells and culturing the cells to form a cell-extracellular matrix powder self-assembly. Accordingly, the self-assembly has characteristics similar to those of extracellular matrix tissues and can be fabricated into three-dimensional artificial tissues 1 cm or greater in size, thus finding advantageous applications as a cell therapy product and an artificial tissue implant.

A method for culturing a bovine progenitor cell, comprising the step of: culturing a bovine progenitor cell in a serum-free medium for culturing a bovine progenitor cell, wherein said serum-free medium comprises an albumin; and a fibroblast growth factor (FGF).

A cellular support system comprises a three-dimensional scaffold structure comprising at least one void. At least one suspended protein bridge spans across the at least one void in the three-dimensional scaffold structure. The suspended protein bridge is capable of supporting cells and promotes three-dimensional cellular growth. In certain aspects, the protein in the suspended protein bridge is an extracellular matrix protein, such as collagens, laminins, fibronectins, and combinations thereof. Such a cellular support system supports thriving cell cultures in three-dimensions emulating cell growth in vivo in an extracellular matrix, including promoting cell remodeling. Methods for making such cellular support systems are also provided.

Provided is a technology allowing for stable supply of brain microvascular endothelium-like cells. This coating agent for inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into brain microvascular endothelium-like cells contains at least one component of a Laminin-221 fragment or an N-terminal Vitronectin.

Provided herein are methods for the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to committed cardiac progenitor cells. Further provided herein are methods for the use of the committed cardiac progenitor cells in the treatment of cardiac disorders.

A tissue engineering material for nerve injury repair, a preparation method therefor and an application thereof. The tissue engineering material for nerve injury repair is an N-cadherin crosslinked linear ordered collagen scaffold. By crosslinking N-cadherin with a linear ordered collagen scaffold, the prepared tissue engineering material can efficiently induce migration of neural stem cells towards an injury region so that the neural stem cells are enriched in the injury region, and can effectively inhibit deposition of inhibitory factors such as chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, promote differentiation of the neural stem cells into neurons, and then promote recovery of electrophysiological and motion functions. The N-cadherin crosslinked linear ordered collagen scaffold also has a stable ordered topological structure and excellent mechanical properties, and can be used to repair nerve injuries such as spinal cord injury.

A method of screening for a substance that acts on a cell mass includes producing a cell mass by three-dimensional culture of primary cancer cells using a tumor tissue, adding a test substance to the cell mass, and evaluating an action of the test substance on the cell mass. The cell mass is produced by culturing cells obtained from the tumor tissue in a medium containing a 5% v/v or less extracellular matrix on a substantially low-adhesive cell culture substrate and producing the cell mass of the primary cancer cells.