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.

The invention relates to methods to evaluate in one single assay the biocompatibility of materials based on the simultaneous determination of the phagocytosis, cell activation and cell death produced by said materials, preferably, in peripheral blood or other human cells and proximal fluids. The invention also relates to a kit to perform the method of the invention.

The present invention relates to a method of culturing primitive-like macrophages from stem cells, a kit when used in the method thereof and uses of the primitive like macrophage for in-vitro disease models and for screening compounds for therapy. One embodied culture method comprises contacting and incubating embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells with a serum-free culture media comprising a GSK3 inhibitor to differentiate stem cells into cells of the mesoderm lineage, followed by incubation with a culture media comprising Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) to differentiate the mesoderm into cells of hematopoietic lineage, maturing hematopoietic cells and incubating these cells with a culture media comprising M-CSF to drive differentiation into primitive-like macrophages. Another embodiment comprises incubating the stem cells with serum-free culture media comprising FGF2 and BMP4 to induce differentiation into cells of the mesoderm lineage, followed by incubating the cells with a culture media comprising FGF2, BMP4, Activin A and VEGF to differentiate the cells of the mesoderm lineage into cells of the hematopoietic cell lineage, maturing the cells of the hematopoietic cell lineage and lastly, incubating the matured hematopoietic cells with culture media comprising M-CSF to drive the differentiation of hematopoietic cells into primitive-like macrophages.

Provided are a composition and method for inducing direct conversion from a somatic cell into a myeloid cell and use thereof, in which differentiation from a somatic cell into a myeloid cell can be efficiently induced through the expression of a single direct conversion inducer without undergoing the pluripotency stage of induced pluripotent stem cells, and thus, the composition can be widely used as an effective preventive and therapeutic agent for immune diseases.

The present invention relates to novel compounds that can be employed in the treatment, alleviation or prevention of a group of diseases, disorders and abnormalities responsive to modulation or inhibition of the activation of a component of the inflammasome pathway. In particular, the component of the inflammasome pathway is NLRP3 inflammasome. More particularly, the compounds of the present invention have the capability to inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome. Further, the compounds of the present invention modulate, in particular, decrease IL-1 beta and/or IL-18 levels.

A biosensor, including a modified gold electrode and a macrophage RAW264.7 immobilized on the modified gold electrode. The disclosure also provides a method of preparing the biosensor and a method of using the same for evaluation of antioxidant capacity of substances.

The present invention relates to an in vitro method for identifying a skin wound in an individual as being a non-healing skin wound or healing skin wound, in vitro methods for monitoring the healing of a skin wound in an individual, methods for screening for compounds suitable for modulating skin wound healing, as well as kits related thereto.

The present invention provides compositions exhibiting in vivo activity of fibrin in an in vitro setting, in vitro assays comprising such compositions, methods of producing such compositions, and methods of using such compositions and assays. The compositions of the invention include molecules with the biochemical properties of 1) high affinity binding to fibrin receptors and 2) activation of cell-signaling systems comparable to that observed in vivo by fibrin. The fibrin compositions of the invention are compatible both in biochemical assays and cell-based assays, and thus useful for in vitro assays for screening of test agents that modulate cell activation and/or signaling pathways mediated by fibrin or associated with fibrin activity.

CFU-less assays of quantifying intracellular bacteria and methods of using the CFU-less assays to identify host-targeting modulators of pathogen uptake or killing by host cells are described. Also described are host-targeting modulators of pathogen uptake by host cells and methods of using the host-targeting modulators to treat infection

A method is provided herein to increase an immune response to an antigen. The method includes administering an agent that inhibits extracellular adenosine or inhibits adenosine receptors. Also disclosed are methods to increase the efficacy of a vaccine and to increase an immune response to a tumor antigen or immune cell-mediated tumor destruction.