1060 results about "Cellular differentiation" patented technology

Disclosed is a cartilage repair product that induces both cell ingrowth into a bioresorbable material and cell differentiation into cartilage tissue. Such a product is useful for regenerating and/or repairing both vascular and avascular cartilage lesions, particularly articular cartilage lesions, and even more particularly mensical tissue lesions, including tears as well as segmental defects. Also disclosed is a method of regenerating and repairing cartilage lesions using such a product.

The present invention provides methods of modulating mammalian, particularly human, stem cell and progenitor cell differentiation to regulate and control the differentiation and maturation of these cells along specific cell and tissue lineages. The methods of the invention relate to the use of certain small organic molecules to modulate the differentiation of stem cell populations along specific cell and tissue lineages, particularly embryonic-like stem cells originating from a postpartum placenta or stem cells isolated form sources such as cord blood. The invention also relates to the treatment or prevention of myelodysplastic syndrome or myeloproliferative syndrome, or symptoms thereof, comprising administration of JNK or MKK inhibitors, alone or in combination, as well as with or without the use of unconditioned cells or cells conditioned in accordance with other aspects of the invention. Finally, the invention relates to the use of such differentiated stem cells in transplantation and other medical treatments.

The invention relates to cellular compositions comprising hematopoietic cells with the potential or increased potential to form non-hematopoietic cells; methods for producing such cellular compositions; methods for differeentitation of cells of cellular compositions of the invention into cells that exhibit morphological, physiological, functional, and/or immunological features of non-hematopoietic cells; and uses of the cellular compositions. The invention also relates to a method for the expansion of hemtopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for the production of differentiated mammalian cells. More particularly, the present invention provides cellular differentiation methods employing culturing the cells on a feeder layer or under feeder-free conditions in cell culture and further contacting the cells with an inhibitor of the PI3-kinase pathway for the generation of differentiated mammalian cells from pluripotent mammalian stem cells. Preferably, the differentiated cell is selected from the group consisting of a mesendodermal cell, a mesodermal cell, and an endodermal cell.

The p21 gene encodes a cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor which affects cell cycle progression, but the role of this gene product in altering tumor growth has not been established. The present inventors have now discovered that the growth of malignant cells in vivo is inhibited by expression of p21. Expression of p21 resulted in an accumulation of cells in G0/G1, alteration in morphology, and cell differentiation.

The invention relates to the alteration of cell properties using RNA molecules. In particular, it relates to the alteration of the ability of cells to mobilise, migrate, integrate, proliferate and/or differentiate. For example, it relates to the induction of differentiation of stem cells, including the acquisition of the ability to migrate, integrate, and proliferate. It also relates to the induction of in vivo stem cell mobilisation, migration, integration, proliferation and/or differentiation. Accordingly, it relates to the promotion of stem cell-mediated functional repair. The invention also relates to the reversal of differentiation of differentiated cells. All these effects may be effected by providing isolated RNA comprising a RNA sequence extractable from cells comprising the desired cell type(s) to a population of cells under conditions whereby the alteration of the cell property is achieved.

The present invention provides methods for rejuvenating cells, tissues and the whole body. Also provided are rejuvenating buffers and agents as well as kits for rejuvenating cells. Also provided are methods for dedifferentiating somatic cells and differentiating the cells into other cell types.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for determining the volume, hemoglobin concentration, maturity and cell shape of mammalian red blood cells in a sample and simultaneously monitoring system standardization.

Described are methods for isolating/purifying and expanding animal stem cells and stem-cell-like cells. Isolation methods include conditions comprising preferentially digesting non-stem cells and non-stem-cell-like cells in a population and preferentially adhering stem cells and stem-cell-like cells in a population. Expansion methods include culturing such cells under conditions comprising modulation of TGF-β signaling, inhibition of cell signaling mediated by p38 MAP kinase using small molecular weight inhibitors, expansion of the cells on human amniotic epithelial cells as feeder layers, control of cell seeding density, control of levels of Ca²⁺ in the culture media, rapid adhesion on a substrate or by a combination of such conditions. More particularly, what is disclosed relates to methods and systems for expanding animal cells in ex vivo cell cultures, while preventing cellular differentiation, and selectively enriching stem cells. The embodiments also disclose a culture system for ex vivo expansion of limbal epithelial cells or mesenchymal cells, as well as surgical grafts made there from.

Stem cell reprogramming genes cloned into a single sustained expression-type Sendai viral vector are shown to reprogram differentiated somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells without integration of vector sequences into the host cell's genome. The genes are transduced into normal differentiated somatic cells via infection with recombinant Sendai virus. After expression of the reprogramming genes and subsequent induction of pluripotency, the vector genome RNA including the reprogramming genes is removed from the cell to establish an iPS cell that is genetically identical to the parent somatic differentiated cell thus reducing the risk of tumorigenic transformation caused by random integration of vector sequences into the host genome. The method promises to provide safe, autologous iPS cells that can be used for human cell replacement and regeneration therapeutic applications.

A method for treating cells and/or nuclear transfer units and/or stem cells in culture with such compounds, individually or in combinations, is described. The method results in a globally hypomethylated genome and a restoration of cell differentiation and/or developmental potential, or potentiality. In addition, a method for the in vitro production of reprogrammed cells which have had differentiation potential (totipotential, pluripotential, or multipotential) restored by demethylating the genome is described.

The invention relates to a method of cell culture comprising providing a pluripotent ES cell encapsulated within a support matrix to form a support matrix structure, maintaining the encapsulated cell in 3-D culture in maintenance medium, and optionally differentiating the encapsulated cell in 3-D culture in differentiation medium. The invention further relates to screening methods incorporating the use of encapsulated cells.

A composition is described comprising a vitamin D analog and a retinoid wherein: (a) the vitamin D analog is capable of binding a vitamin D receptor or being converted in vivo into a compound capable of binding a vitamin D receptor; and (b) the retinoid is selected from the group consisting of retinol in a concentration of at least about 1.0% and a retinoid characterized by having a substitution at the 4-position. Further, methods of treating disorders characterized by abnormal cell-proliferation and/or cell-differentiation are also described.

The present invention discloses agents and methods for inducing osteoblastic cellular differentiation, as well as the use of such agents and method to treat patients to maintain bone mass, enhance bone formation and/or bone repair. Exemplary agents include oxysterols, alone or in combination with particular oxysterols, or other agents known to assist in bone formation. The invention further includes medicaments including oxysterols for the treatment of bone disorders, local injections of oxysterols or cells (206) and implants (202) having agents or cells (203) to facilitate bone repair.

The invention discloses a covered stent, which comprises a support structure and a tectorial membrane unit, and is characterized in that: the tectorial membrane unit comprises an inner-layer tectorial membrane and an outer-layer tectorial membrane which coats the support structure; the outer-layer membrane coats on the outer side of the inner-layer tectorial membrane; the inner-layer tectorial membrane is a biological membrane with good blood compatibility, and the outer-layer tectorial membrane is a biological membrane which is easy to induce the formation of thrombus; the inner-layer tectorial membrane contacting blood has good blood compatibility, can effectively reduce the formation of the thrombus, and maintains normal blood flowing channels; and the outer-layer tectorial membrane can induce the formation of the thrombus in aneurysm or thrombus of bleeding parts, promotes the aneurysm to be quickly activated and reduced, reduces the mass effect in vivo, simultaneously effectively adheres endothelial cells, promotes differentiation and proliferation of cells, quickens the endothelialization of lesion parts of vessels, and can more effectively treat vascular diseases such as the aneurysm and the like.

An improved method of nuclear transfer involving the transplantation of donor cell nuclei into enucleated oocytes of a species different from the donor cell is provided. The resultant nuclear transfer units are useful for the production of isogenic embryonic stem cells, in particular human isogenic embryonic or stem cells. These embryonic or stem-like cells are useful for producing desired differentiated cells and for introduction, removal or modification, of desired genes, e.g., at specific sites of the genome of such cells by homologous recombination. These cells, which may contain a heterologous gene, are especially useful in cell transplantation therapies and for in vitro study of cell differentiation.

Methods and compositions for the biological repair of cartilage using a hybrid construct combining both an inert structure and living core are described. The inert structure is intended to act not only as a delivery system to feed and grow a living, core component, but also as an inducer of cell differentiation. The inert structure comprises concentric internal and external and inflatable/expandable balloon-like bio-polymers. The living core comprises the cell-matrix construct comprised of HDFs, for example, seeded in a scaffold. The method comprises surgically removing a damaged cartilage from a patient and inserting the hybrid construct into the cavity generated after the foregoing surgical intervention. The balloons of the inert structure are successively inflated within the target area, such as a joint, for example. Also disclosed herein are methods for growing and differentiating human fibroblasts into chondrocyte-like cells via mechanical strain.