Disclosed is a method of culturing natural killer cells (NK cells) applied to immunotherapy. More specifically, disclosed are a kit containing a medium for culturing NK cells (NKCM kit) that can efficiently amplify and activate NK cells effective for the treatment of malignant tumors by culturing lymphocytes derived from human peripheral blood, and a method of culturing natural killer cells using the kit. The method for amplifying NK cells of the present invention includes stimulating NK cells with lymphocytes separated from peripheral blood, culturing the NK cells in a medium containing IL-2, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17, IL-18, and IL-21, and isolating the NK cells. Provided is a pharmaceutical composition for cell therapy containing NK cells produced by the method of amplifying NK cells. The pharmaceutical composition for cell therapy is expected to be widely used to treat infections and/or cancer.

The improved 4-5 day, optionally 3-5 day GMP-compliant in-vitro method enables the production of macrophages from monocytes that benefits from a shorter cell culture time, fewer interventions whilst maintaining the desired characteristics of the human macrophages. The present invention describes a method wherein the monocytes are cultured in medium comprising one or more growth actors to stimulate macrophages with a pro-regenerative phenotype. The method described herein is xeno-free, serum-free and GMP compliant. In addition, further disclosed are macrophages produced according to the present invention and the use of said macrophages in the treatment of liver diseases, such as liver cirrhosis.

Embodiments of the disclosure encompass systems, methods, and compositions for producing exosomes from primed mesenchymal stem cells that are expanded in the presence of IFNγ, TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-17. The systems, methods, and compositions ay occur in an automated cell expansion system that allows for controllable parameters and from which cells and exosomes may be harvested at one or more times as part of a particular regimen. In specific embodiments, the exosomes may be provided to an individual in need thereof, including in some cases when the exosomes comprise one or more therapeutic agents.

One aspect of the present disclosure can include a priming medium for creating an isolated population of stem cells having an anti-inflammatory phenotype from an unprimed population of stem cells. The priming media can include a serum-free medium, a functional activator of a Type I interferon (IFN) pathway and a Type II IFN pathway, and at least two pro-inflammatory cytokines. The functional activator and the at least two pro-inflammatory cytokines can be present in an amount sufficient to promote induction of stem cells having an anti-inflammatory phenotype. The cells having an anti-inflammatory phenotype can be marked by increased expression and/or secretion of one or more anti-inflammatory or immune modulatory mediators as compared to the unprimed population of stem cells. Other aspects of the present disclosure can include stem cells made according to the present disclosure as well as therapeutic compositions and uses of the stem cells.

Provided herein are methods for expanding populations of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) comprising treating a population of MSCs derived from cord tissue with a pre-activation cytokine cocktail. Further provided herein are methods of treating immune disorders with the MSCs

Cell culture media, preservative media or cryopreservation media include a low dose of one or more cytokines, e.g. interleukin-2 (IL-2).

The present invention relates to an immunopotentiating or anticancer activity-augmenting composition comprising MAL-expressed, stem cell like memory T cells as an active ingredient. According to the present invention, myelin and lymphocyte (MAL) augments the differentiation, viability, and activity of stem cell like memory cells (Tscm) and MAL-expressed Tscm can be utilized in an immunopotentiating or anticancer activity-augmenting composition. MAL can be advantageously used in a composition for cancer immunotherapy, a composition for induction of Tscm differentiation, a method for screening a cancer immunotherapy agent, a method for screening a Tscm differentiation inducing agent, etc.

The present disclosure provides an in vitro method for preparation of human pluripotent stem cells (HPSCs) from human adipocyte-derived stem cells (ADSCs) without any genetic engineering techniques and without involving any exogenous gene elements, plasmid or transcription factors and the so obtained HPSCs are referred to as directly-generated human pluripotent stem cells (dgHPSCs). The present invention further provides an in vitro method for insulin production from the dgHPSCs by means of single- or co-transduction with human estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRγ) gene by the lentivirus vector pWPI/ERRγ encoding the human ERRγ gene and/or with human insulin (INS) gene by a lentivirus vector, pWPI/INS encoding the human INS gene, where the insulin secreted by such co-transduced cells is higher than singly transduced cells. The present invention also provides an in vitro method for insulin production in a glucose-concentration responsive manner involving single transduction of the dgHPSCs with the human ERRγ gene.

Disclosed is a method of culturing natural killer cells (NK cells) applied to immunotherapy. More specifically, disclosed are a kit containing a medium for culturing NK cells (NKCM kit) that can efficiently amplify and activate NK cells effective for the treatment of malignant tumors by culturing lymphocytes derived from human peripheral blood, and a method of culturing natural killer cells using the kit. The method for amplifying NK cells of the present invention includes stimulating NK cells with lymphocytes separated from peripheral blood, culturing the NK cells in a medium containing IL-2, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17, IL-18, and IL-21, and isolating the NK cells. Provided is a pharmaceutical composition for cell therapy containing NK cells produced by the method of amplifying NK cells. The pharmaceutical composition for cell therapy is expected to be widely used to treat infections and/or cancer.

The present invention provides methods or kits with inflammatory cytokines to pretreat 1-ISCs to augment their immune modulatory effect, in prevention and treatment of various diseases such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, lupus, sepsis, hepatitis, cirrhosis, Parkinson's disease, chronic infections, and GvHD. The present invention relates to novel methods for enhancing the immunosuppressive or the immune stimulatory activities of mesenchymal stem cells (JvfSCs).