The present invention provides a method for culturing vascular smooth muscle cells, which includes culturing vascular smooth muscle cells in suspension in a medium composition comprising a structure capable of culturing cells or tissues by suspending them. In addition, the present invention provides a method for suppressing proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, which includes culturing vascular smooth muscle cells in suspension in the medium composition. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for preserving vascular smooth muscle cells, which includes suspending vascular smooth muscle cells in the medium composition. The structure contains, for example, deacylated gellan gum.

The invention relates to a three-dimensional in vitro alveolar lung model comprising essentially the four cells types as follows: alveolar type II epithelial cells able to secrete (lung laying) surfactant, endothelial cells which forms the inner lining of capillaries providing a permeable barrier, dendritic-like cells, such as non-differentiated THP-1, linking innate and adaptive immunity and macrophage-like cells, able to participate to defense mechanisms by ingesting foreign materials by phagocytosis. The invention also relates to a process for preparing said model, and its use for assessing the irritation potential or toxicity of inhalable products such as particles or molecules on the alveolar barrier of lungs, and also for determining and/or predicting the sensitizing effects of inhalable products such as particles or molecules on the alveolar barrier of lungs.

The present disclosure relates to methods for modulating the level of proteins in a subject or in target cells by priming red blood cells with various agents or conditions that modulate the levels of proteins associated with red blood cells and administering the primed red blood cells to a subject. The disclosed methods represent a novel use of red blood cells primed to express a number of proteins, as cell therapies for numerous diseases or disorders.

Provided are engineered meat products formed as a plurality of at least partially fused layers, wherein each layer comprises at least partially fused multicellular bodies comprising non-human myocytes and wherein the engineered meat is comestible. Also provided are multicellular bodies comprising a plurality of non-human myocytes that are adhered and/or cohered to one another; wherein the multicellular bodies are arranged adjacently on a nutrient-permeable support substrate and maintained in culture to allow the multicellular bodies to at least partially fuse to form a substantially planar layer for use in formation of engineered meat. Further described herein are methods of forming engineered meat utilizing said layers.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods to decellularize an isolated organ or portion thereof. Also disclosed herein are compositions and methods for treatment of disease utilizing a decellularized or recellularized organ. Also disclosed herein are methods of improving decellularization and/or recellularization of an isolated organ or portion thereof.

Methods and compositions are described herein that involve expansion of hematopoietic stem cells and/or hematopoietic progenitor cells.

The present invention relates to microfluidic fluidic systems and methods for the in vitro modeling diseases of the lung and small airway. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a system for testing responses of a microfluidic Small Airway-on-Chip infected with one or more infectious agents (e.g. respiratory viruses) as a model of respiratory disease exacerbation (e.g. asthma exacerbation). In one embodiment, this disease model on a microfluidic chip allows for a) the testing of anti-inflammatory and/or anti-viral compounds introduced into the system, as well as b) the monitoring of the participation, recruitment and/or movement of immune cells, including the transmigration of cells. In particular, this system provides, in one embodiment, an in-vitro platform for modeling severe asthma as “Severe Asthma-on-Chip.” In some embodiments, this invention provides a model of viral-induced asthma in humans for use in identifying potentially effective treatments.

The present invention relates to a cell structure including cells containing at least hepatocytes and vascular endothelial cells, and extracellular matrix component, wherein the extracellular matrix components are disposed between the cells, and a liver sinusoidal network is provided between the cells.

The present invention provides a product comprising plated human hepatocytes on a surface and at least some of the plated hepatocytes are in one or more hepatocyte clusters on feeder cells, which are attached to the surface. A method of preparing plated human hepatocytes is also provided. The preparation method comprises applying human hepatocytes to a surface in the presence of feeder cells, co-culturing the applied hepatocytes with the feeder cells, and forming one or more hepatocyte clusters by the co-cultured hepatocytes on the feeder cells, which are attached to the surface. The plated hepatocytes may be used for various purposes, including the preparation of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected hepatocyte culture model and drug testing.

The present invention is directed to a mammalian-avian chimeric model system comprising a fertilized avian egg comprising a chorioallantoic membrane (CAM); and multiple types of mammalian cells dispersed in a hydrogel. Further provided is a method for preparing the system and a method of using the same.