The present invention relates to the field of immunology, molecular biology and therapeutics. In particular, the invention relates to novel artificial feeder cells for activation and expansion of natural killer (NK) cells. The artificial feeder cell expresses endogenous ligands (HLA C1, C2, 5 and Bw4 type) for killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), non-KIR binding Bw6 ligand, endogenous HLA-E-ligand for inhibitory NKG2A receptor, and comprises at least one stimulatory cytokine either membrane bound or secreted or at least one co-stimulatory ligand where those ligands and cytokines each specifically bind to a cognate receptor on a NK cell of interest, thereby mediating expansion of the NK cell. The invention can be used as an “off the 10 shelf” artificial feeder cell that can be readily designed to expand a NK cell or a NK subset of interest and also specifically expand NK cells modified with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). By genetically introducing or knockdown of candidate genes, the artificial feeder cell of the invention can be used to identify the stimulatory, co-stimulatory, and any other factors that mediate growth, expansion and cytotoxicity of a NK cell. Thus, the present invention provides 15 powerful tools for development of novel therapeutics where activation and expansion of the NK cell and of the CAR-NK cell can provide a benefit.

The present invention relates to a method for isolating bona fide pancreatic progenitor cells and to cell populations enriched for bona fide pancreatic progenitor cells.

Methods and compositions for modifying glycans (e.g., glycans expressed on the surface of live cells or cell particles) are provided herein.

Methods, compositions and cells are provided that identify and isolate a population of adult non-embryonic progenitor cells having multilineage potential, physical diameters of about 2 μm to about 8 μm in size or about 4 μm to about 6 μm, and expressing at least one of the stem cell associated genes among Oct-4, KLF-4, Nanog, Sox-2, Rex-1, GDF-3 or Stella. Methods are also provided that identify and isolate populations, which are subsets or subpopulations of progenitor adult stem cells within the population of the adult stem cells which is a heterogeneous population, the methods including contacting the adult stem cells with a ligand specific for at least one of: CD99, tetraspan, ICAM4, full-length MUC1, and truncated MUC1 receptor, in which a presence of a surface protein on the cells that bind to the ligand identifies the population which is the subset of the differentiated progenitor adult stem cells.

The present invention relates to a method for isolating bona fide pancreatic progenitor cells and to cell populations enriched for bona fide pancreatic progenitor cells.

This disclosure is directed to, inter alia, methods and systems for preparing oligopotent and unipotent progenitor cells of defined lineages in culture from an expanded source of CD34+ cells, media for making the same, and therapeutic compounds and compositions comprising the same for treatment a variety of diseases included, but not limited to, hematologic disorders, immune diseases, cancers, and infectious diseases.

The present disclosure is directed to a feeder-cell free methods of producing an expanded natural killer (NK) cell preparation. This method comprises providing a starting preparation of NK cells and treating the starting preparation with a natural killer cell p30-related protein (NKp30) modulating agent alone or with other expansion agents as described herein. The method further involves culturing the treated preparation under conditions effective to expand the starting preparation of NK cells to produce an expanded NK cell preparation. Other aspects of the disclosure related to therapeutic preparations of NK cells produced in accordance with the methods described herein.

The present invention discloses a hydrogel comprising a functionalized PEG multi-arm star polymer covalently combined with maleimide-functionalized low molecular weight heparin, further comprising at least one positively charged immune molecule, a method for producing this hydrogel and its use in T cell culture for immunotherapies. Furthermore, the invention relates to a bioink and its use in 3D-(bio)-printing.

Disclosed herein are methods of treating a disorder in a patient by administering immune evading cells. In some embodiments, the patient receives more than one administration of such cells. In some embodiments, the cells disclosed herein have reduced levels or activities of MHC I and/or MHC II human leukocyte antigens. In some embodiments, the cells are derived from primary T cells or pluripotent stem cells that evade immune recognition. In some embodiments, the cells comprise a chimeric antigen receptor.

Provided is a method by which cells deviated from the undifferentiated state, which emerge in a colony during culture of stem cells having pluripotency, can be removed. In one aspect, provided is a method for culturing stem cells having pluripotency, the method including performing cell culture in the presence of a substance that can inhibit cell-cell adhesion. In another aspect, provided is a method for removing cells deviated from the undifferentiated state, the cells being cells that have emerged or may possibly emerge during culture of stem cells having pluripotency, the method including performing cell culture in the presence of a substance that can inhibit cell-cell adhesion. In still another aspect, provided is a method for maintaining the undifferentiated state of stem cells having pluripotency, the method including performing cell culture in the presence of a substance that can inhibit cell-cell adhesion.