Methods to form a surface coating and surface pattern, which are based on adsorption of hydrocarbon chains that can be used with imaging optics to visualize macrophage fusion and multinucleated giant cell formation with living specimens are described.

Embodiments herein described provide antigen-presenting cell-mimetic scaffolds (APC-MS) and use of such scaffolds to manipulating T-cells. More specifically, the scaffolds are useful for promoting growth, division, differentiation, expansion, proliferation, activity, viability, exhaustion, anergy, quiescence, apoptosis, or death of T-cells in various settings, e.g., in vitro, ex vivo, or in vivo. Embodiments described herein further relate to pharmaceutical compositions, kits, and packages containing such scaffolds. Additional embodiments relate to methods for making the scaffolds, compositions, and kits/packages. Also described herein are methods for using the scaffolds, compositions, and/or kits in the diagnosis or therapy of diseases such as cancers, immunodeficiency disorders, and/or autoimmune disorders.

The present invention relates to a method for producing biodegradable fibers on the basis of a silane compound, said silane compound being crosslinked during production and, at least to some extent, an organic acid being incorporated into the forming crosslinked structure via covalent bonds and/or contributing to the crosslinking. The present invention also relates to the fibers that can be produced by the method according to the invention and to the use thereof.

The invention provides a thermosensitive peptide hydrogel, which comprises water, a polyether/polyol polymer and a peptide molecule. The peptide molecule has a structure represented by the following chemical formula (1). Chemical Structure (1): ##STR00001##

Disclosed is a method of constructing a cell sheet using only cells without a support. More particularly, a method of manufacturing a multi-layered cell sheet without a separate lamination step and a cell sheet manufactured by the method are disclosed.

A composite material film for expanding circulating tumor cells ex vivo and a preparation method thereof, a kit and a method for expanding circulating tumor cells ex vivo, a method for detecting an effect of a drug, and a cryopreservation solution are provided. The preparation method includes: mixing one or more kinds of particles and a solvent to form a mixed liquid, in which the particles are selected from the group consisting of metal particles, metal oxide particles, silicon oxide particles and combinations thereof; placing the mixed liquid on a substrate to form a particle layer; adding a medium material to the particle layer, in which the medium material is selected from the group consisting of styrene and its derivatives, polyester monomers, silicon oxide compounds and combinations thereof; and polymerizing the medium material to form a medium layer to fix the particle layer on the substrate.

The present application relates to microcarrier particles for cell culture, a method for preparing the particles, and a cell culture medium composition including the particles. According to the present application, a microcarrier having a high degree of uniformity in shape or form, having porosity, and advantageous for cell attachment and isolation of cultured cells is provided.

Provided herein, inter alia, are methods, host cells, and vectors for producing 3-hydroxypropionate (3-HP). In some embodiments, the host cells include a recombinant polynucleotide encoding an oxaloacetate decarboxylase (OAADC) and a polynucleotide encoding a 3-hydroxypropionate dehydrogenase (3-HPDH). In some embodiments, the methods include culturing said host cell(s) in a culture medium comprising a substrate under conditions suitable for the recombinant host cell to convert the substrate to 3-HP. Expression of the OAADC and the 3-HPDH results in increased production of 3-HP, as compared to production by a host cell lacking expression of the OAADC and the 3-HPDH.

Methods are described for preparing auditory progenitor cells from gingival mesenchymal cells, for uses such as restoring hearing in hearing impaired individuals. In one aspect, a method of treating hearing loss associated with loss of sensory neurons in a human subject is provided, the method comprising the steps of: a. obtaining a population of gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs); b. optionally expanding the population of GMSCs in vitro; c. encapsulating the population of GMSCs in an elastic three-dimensional scaffold; d. exposing the encapsulated population of GMSCs to a composition comprising one or more growth factors; e. allowing co a sufficient period for the population of GMSCs to differentiate towards auditory progenitor cells; f. optionally retrieving the auditory progenitor cells from the scaffold; and g. introducing the auditory progenitor cells into the inner ear of the subject.

Provided herein are methods that relate, in some aspects, to the incubation or culturing, such as to induce stimulation of expansion (proliferation), activation, costimulation and/or survival, of a composition of cells, such as a population of lymphocytes. In some aspects, provided are methods and reagents for the stimulation, e.g., of expansion (proliferation), survival or persistence, activation, costimulation, or other effect, of cell populations that involve binding of agents to a molecule on the surface of the cells, thereby providing one or more signals to the cells. In some cases, the reagents are reagents containing a plurality of binding sites for agents, such as multimerization reagents, and thus the one or more agents are multimerized by reversibly binding to the reagent, e.g., thereby creating a stimulatory reagent (multimerized agent), having stimulatory agents multimerized thereon. In some aspects, the multimerized agent can provide for expansion or proliferation or other stimulation of a population of cells, and then such stimulatory agents can be removed by disruption of the reversible bond. Also provided are compositions, apparatus and methods of use thereof.