Disclosed are improved methods for manufacturing large-scale populations of robust, highly pure, and functional T regulatory cells (Tregs). Also disclosed are expanded Treg populations, cryopreserved Treg populations and methods and uses of these cells in compositions formulated for treating one or more mammalian diseases, including, for example, treatment, prophylaxis, and/or amelioration of one or more symptoms of a human neurodegenerative disorder. In particular, the compositions and methods provided herein find clinical use in the treatment and amelioration of one or more symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease, and other neurological diseases and disorders.

The present invention discloses an in-vitro culture, induction, activation and cryopreservation method and cell bank establishment for immune cells. The method includes the follows: using a dedicated amplification medium of immune cells to perform first-stage amplification culture on mononuclear cells to obtain preliminarily amplified immune cells; using a dedicated induction medium of immune cells to perform second-stage induction and amplification culture on the preliminarily amplified immune cells to obtain induced immune cells; using a dedicated activation medium of immune cells to perform third-stage activation and amplification culture on the induced immune cells to obtain a large number of immune cells with activation functions; using a dedicated cryopreserving fluid of immune cells to cryopreserve the immune cells to obtain cryopreserved immune cells; and performing preservation according to ABO/RH typing and HLA typing; and establishing an information file of immune cells for retrieval to construct an immune cell bank.

Apparatus are provided for preventing the formation of ice crystals in a biological sample containing a non-Newtonian fluid as a cryopreservation medium. The apparatus may be used to prevent ice formation during cryopreservation of biological samples, or during warming of cryopreserved biological samples, by changing the viscosity of the non-Newtonian fluid. The apparatus (200) comprises a housing (202) for a container (212) containing the biological sample (214) and the non-Newtonian fluid, and a device (204) for inducing a change in viscosity of the cryopreservation medium. The change in viscosity may be increased by inducing shear thickening of the cryopreservation medium, or the change in viscosity may be decreased by inducing shear thinning of the cryopreservation medium. Possible viscosity-changing devices comprise a tapping device, a piston, a rotating device, a compression device, a sound generating device, a permanent magnet or a electromagnetic field generating device. The apparatus may further include a temperature control device.

The present invention relates to a method for freezing and preserving a composition comprising a population of neonatal stromal cells (NSCs) and a cryoprotector, characterised in that it comprises a step of freezing the composition at a temperature of between −70° C. and −140° C., then a step of preserving the composition at between −10° C. and −40° C. The present invention also relates to a composition comprising a population of NSCs and a cryoprotector, characterised in that it is preserved at between −10° C. and −40° C., said NSCs being in particular placental NSCs.

Provided herein is a placental product comprising an immunocompatible chorionic membrane. Such placental products can be cryopreserved and contain viable therapeutic cells after thawing. The placental product of the present invention is useful in treating a patient with a tissue injury (e.g. wound or burn) by applying the placental product to the injury. Similar application is useful with ligament and tendon repair and for engraftment procedures such as bone engraftment.

An apparatus, that relates to the field of in vitro fertilization, is provided for the combined incubation and vitrification of a biological material. The apparatus can be configured to allow for automatic incubation and vitrification of a viable biological material. Thereby predetermined protocols for handling the biological material can be performed precisely and accurately thus avoiding errors and deviations from the intended protocol, as caused by manual human intervention.

The present disclosure relates to, at least, a vacuum-assisted method for infiltrating cadaver bone with a cryoprotectant and a method for rapidly warming the cryopreserved cadaver bone for bone marrow processing.

Provided is a method for freezing a cell aggregate including neural cells. provided is a method for freezing a cell aggregate including neural cells and having a three-dimensional structure, which comprises following steps (1) and (2): (1) contacting a cell aggregate including neural cells and having a three-dimensional structure with a preservation solution at 0° C. to 30° C. prior to freezing to prepare a preservation solution-soaked cell aggregate; and (2) cooling the preservation solution-soaked cell aggregate obtained in step (1) from a temperature at least about 5° C. higher than the freezing point of the preservation solution to a temperature about 5° C. lower than the freezing point at an average cooling speed of 2 to 7° C./min to freeze the cell aggregate.

An agent for cryopreservation includes trehalose, HEPES and serum albumin. The agent for cryopreservation does not include potassium chloride, sodium chloride, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

The present invention provides methods for cryopreserving a population of cells with improved cell viability. In some aspects, the method comprises contacting a population of cells with a peptoid polymer comprising one or more polar peptoid monomers, e.g., formulated in a cryoprotectant solution, and cooling the population of cells at a temperature of from 0° C. to about −20° C. for a time period of at least about 3 hours to produce a population of supercooled cells. The supercooling methods of the present invention provide excellent post-thaw cell survival and recovery. In certain embodiments, the population of cells is present in a tissue or an organ that is cryopreserved by performing the supercooling methods of the present invention.