3551 results about "Living cell" patented technology

Methods for inducing a population of T cells to proliferate by activating the population of T cells and stimulating an accessory molecule on the surface of the T cells with a ligand which binds the accessory molecule are described. T cell proliferation occurs in the absence of exogenous growth factors or accessory cells. T cell activation is accomplished by stimulating the T cell receptor (TCR) / CD3 complex or the CD2 surface protein. To induce proliferation of an activated population T cells, an accessory molecule on the surface of the T cells, such as CD28, is stimulated with a ligand which binds the accessory molecule. The T cell population expanded by the method of the invention can be genetically transduced and used for immunotherapy or can be used in methods of diagnosis.

The present invention discloses devices and methods of performing high throughput screening of the physiological response of cells to biologically active compounds and methods of combining high-throughput with high-content spatial information at the cellular and subcellular level as well as temporal information about changes in physiological, biochemical and molecular activities. The present invention allows multiple types of cell interactions to be studied simultaneously by combining multicolor luminescence reading, microfluidic delivery, and environmental control of living cells in non-uniform micro-patterned arrays.

Living cellular material is encapsulated or placed in a protective material (cell protector) which is biocompatible, biodegradable and has a three-dimensional form. The three dimensional form is incorporated into a matrix that maybe implanted in vivo, ultimately degrade and thereby by replaced by living cell generated material.

A method for the effective treatment of articulating joint surface cartilage in an animal by the transplantation of an implantable article including chondrocyte cells retained to an absorbable support matrix. An instrument for placing and manipulating the implantable article at the site of implantation, and a retention device for securing the implantable article to the site of implantation. An implantable article for cartilage repair in an animal, the implantable article including chondrocyte cells retained on an absorbable support matrix, and a method of making same. An article comprising an absorbable flexible support matrix for living cells grown and adhered thereto.

An apparatus and method for real-time measurement of a cellular response of a test compound or series of test compounds (303) on a flowing suspension of cells (349), in which a homogeneous suspension of each member of a series of cell types (349) is combined with a concentration of a test compound (303), directed through a detection zone (355), and a cellular response of the living cells is measured in real time as the cells in the test mixture are flowing through the detection zone (355). The apparatus may be used in automated screening of libraries of compounds, and is capable of real-time variation of concentrations of test and standard compounds and generation of dose / response profiles within a short time span.

There are numerous medical situations involving deficiencies of living bone or periodontal tissue and where increase of living bone or periodontal tissue mass is desired. Methods are described wherein a configured, shell-like device that is capable of being penetrated by living cells and tissues, is implanted into the body of a mammal in such a way as to establish a space, the space being at least partly, bounded by the device. The configuration of the device is such that the configuration of the established space is essentially the same as the configuration of living bone or periodontal tissue that is desired for treatment of the tissue deficiency. At least one protein from the Transforming Growth Factor-Beta Superfamily of proteins is placed within the established space for the purpose of stimulating the growth of living bone or periodontal tissue within the established space. A kit for the generation of living bone or periodontal tissue, comprised of the components mentioned above, is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for quantitative three-dimensional mapping of refractive index in living or non-living cells, tissues, or organisms using a phase-shifting laser interferometric microscope with variable illumination angle. A preferred embodiment provides tomographic imaging of cells and multicellular organisms, and time-dependent changes in cell structure and the quantitative characterization of specimen-induced aberrations in high-resolution microscopy with multiple applications in tissue light scattering.

An optical image-driven light induced dielectrophoresis (DEP) apparatus and method are described which provide for the manipulation of particles or cells with a diameter on the order of 100 μm or less. The apparatus is referred to as optoelectric tweezers (OET) and provides a number of advantages over conventional optical tweezers, in particular the ability to perform operations in parallel and over a large area without damage to living cells. The OET device generally comprises a planar liquid-filled structure having one or more portions which are photoconductive to convert incoming light to a change in the electric field pattern. The light patterns are dynamically generated to provide a number of manipulation structures that can manipulate single particles and cells or groups of particles / cells. The OET preferably includes a microscopic imaging means to provide feedback for the optical manipulation, such as detecting position and characteristics wherein the light patterns are modulated accordingly.

An implantable stent having surface features adapted to promote an organized growth pattern of infiltrating cells when implanted in a tubular organ is provided. The surface features comprise depressions, pores, projections, pleats, channels or grooves in the stent body and are designed to increase turbulence or stagnation in the flow of a liquid, such as blood through the stent, and / or to promote the growth of infiltrating cells in an organized pattern. Alternatively, the invention stent can be populated with living cells prior to implant and can be heatable from an external source of energy, thereby inducing production of therapeutic bioactive agents from ingrowing cells. The invention also provides an implantable heatable stent for transcutaneously monitoring the flow of fluid through a lumen into which the stent is implanted by measuring the rate at which the heated stent cools in response to blood flow when the source of heat is removed.

Various embodiments of a biological interface system and their related methods are disclosed. A biological interface system may include a sensor including a plurality of electrodes configured to detect multicellular signals emanating from one or more living cells of a patient and a processing unit configured to receive the multicellular signals from the sensor, to process the multicellular signals to produce processed signals, and to transmit the processed signals. The system may also include a controlled device configured to receive the processed signals from the processing unit. The processing unit may include a processing unit first portion and a processing unit second portion, where the processing unit first portion is implanted under the scalp on the skull of the patient, and the processing unit second portion is placed above the scalp of the patient at a location proximal to the processing unit first portion.

A method of making an organ or tissue comprises: (a) providing a first dispenser containing a structural support polymer and a second dispenser containing a live cell-containing composition; (b) depositing a layer on said support from said first and second dispenser, said layer comprising a structural support polymer and said cell-containing composition; and then (c) iteratively repeating said depositing step a plurality of times to form a plurality of layers one on another, with separate and discrete regions in each of said layers comprising one or the other of said support polymer or said cell-containing composition, to thereby produce provide a composite three dimensional structure containing both structural support regions and cell-containing regions. Apparatus for carrying out the method and composite products produced by the method are also described.

In embodiments of the present invention, a system and method of cytometry may include presenting a single sperm cell to at least one laser source configured to deliver light to the sperm cell in order to induce bond vibrations in the sperm cell DNA, and detecting the signature of the bond vibrations. The bond vibration signature is used to calculate a DNA content carried by the sperm cell which is used to identify the sperm cell as carrying an X-chromosome or Y-chromosome. Another system and method may include flowing cells past at least one QCL source one-by-one using a fluid handling system, delivering QCL light to a single cell to induce resonant mid-IR absorption by one or more analytes of the cell, and detecting, using a mid-infrared detection facility, the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light, wherein the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light is used to identify a cell characteristic.

A new class of red-emitting, fluorescent [8,9]benzophenoxazine dyes are provided that are useful for staining nucleic acids in a variety of contexts, including in solutions, in electrophoretic gels or other matrices, in blotting experiments and in assays employing intact, live cells. The new dyes are brighter and permeate cells faster than currently available red-emitting live-cell nucleic acid stains.

A 3-dimensional structure comprising suitable cells (or entities) and the ECM (or matrix) that has been completely produced and arranged by these cells (or entities) that promotes the differentiation, dedifferentiation and / or transdifferentiation of cells and / or formation of tissue in vitro and in vivo, while at the same time promoting cell growth, proliferation, migration, acquisition of in vivo-like morphology, or combinations thereof, and that 1. provides structural and / or nutritional support to cells, tissue, organs, or combinations thereof, termed an “Autogenic Living Scaffold” (ALS); or 2. is capable of being transformed into a more complex tissue (or matrix) or a completely different type of tissue (or matrix), termed a “Living Tissue Matrix” (LTM). Autogenic means it is self-produced. The living cells that produce the LTM or ALS, or are added to Autogenic Living Scaffolds, may be genetically engineered or otherwise modified. The matrix component of the ALS or LTM provides a structural framework for cells that guide their direction of growth, enables them to be correctly spaced, prevents overcrowding, enables cells to communicate between each other, transmit subtle biological signals, receive signals from their environment, form bonds and contacts that are required for proper functioning of all cells within a unit such as a tissue, or combinations thereof. The ALS or LTM may thus provide proper or supporting mechanical and chemical environments, signals, or stimuli to other cells, to the cells that produce the ALS, to surrounding tissue at an implantation site, to a wound, for in vitro and ex vivo generation and regeneration of cells, tissue and organs, or combinations thereof. They may also provide other cells with nutrients, growth factors, and / or other necessary or useful components. They may also take in or serve as buffers for certain substances in the environment, and have also some potential at adapting to new environments.

Various embodiments of a biological interface system and their related methods are disclosed. A biological interface system may include a sensor including a plurality of electrodes configured to detect multicellular signals emanating from one or more living cells of a patient and a processing unit configured to receive the multicellular signals from the sensor and to process the multicellular signals to produce processed signals. The system may also include a plurality of controlled devices each configured to receive the processed signals. The plurality of controlled devices include at least a first controlled device and a second controlled device. The system may include a selector module usable by an operator and being configured to select which of the first and second controlled devices is to be controlled by the processed signals.

A tubular tissue scaffold is described which comprises a tube having a wall, wherein the wall includes biopolymer fibrils that are aligned in a helical pattern around the longitudinal axis of the tube where the pitch of the helical pattern changes with the radial position in the tube wall. The scaffold is capable of directing the morphological pattern of attached and growing cells to form a helical pattern around the tube walls. Additionally, an apparatus for producing such a tubular tissue scaffold is disclosed, the apparatus comprising a biopolymer gel dispersion feed pump that is operably connected to a tube-forming device having an exit port, where the tube-forming device is capable of producing a tube from the gel dispersion while providing an angular shear force across the wall of the tube, and a liquid bath located to receive the tubular tissue scaffold from the tube-forming device. A method for producing the tubular tissue scaffolds is also disclosed. Also, artificial tissue comprising living cells attached to a tubular tissue scaffold as described herein is disclosed. Methods for using the artificial tissue are also disclosed.

Methods and apparatus are provided for assaying cell samples, which may be living cells, using probes labeled with composite organic-inorganic nanoparticles (COINs) and microspheres with COINs embedded within a polymer matrix to which the probe moiety is attached. COINs intrinsically produce SERS signals upon laser irradiation, making COIN-labeled probes particularly suitable in a variety of methods for assaying cells, including biological molecules that may be contained on or within cells, most of which are not inherently Raman-active. The invention provides variations of the sandwich immunoassay employing both specific and degenerate binding, methods for reverse phase assay of tissue samples and cell microstructures, in solution displacement and competition assays, and the like. Systems and chips useful for practicing the invention assays are also provided.

An optical image-driven light induced dielectrophoresis (DEP) apparatus and method are described which provide for the manipulation of particles or cells with a diameter on the order of 100 μm or less. The apparatus is referred to as optoelectric tweezers (OET) and provides a number of advantages over conventional optical tweezers, in particular the ability to perform operations in parallel and over a large area without damage to living cells. The OET device generally comprises a planar liquid-filled structure having one or more portions which are photoconductive to convert incoming light to a change in the electric field pattern. The light patterns are dynamically generated to provide a number of manipulation structures that can manipulate single particles and cells or groups of particles / cells. The OET preferably includes a microscopic imaging means to provide feedback for the optical manipulation, such as detecting position and characteristics wherein the light patterns are modulated accordingly.

The present invention comprises methods and devices for modulating the activity or activities of living cells, such as cells found in or derived from humans, animals, plants, insects, microorganisms and other organisms. Methods of the present invention comprise use of the application of ultrasound, such as low intensity, low frequency ultrasound, to living cells to affect the cells and modulate the cells' activities. Devices of the present invention comprise one or more components for generating ultrasound waves, such as ultrasonic emitters, transducers or piezoelectric transducers, composite transducers, CMUTs, and which may be provided as single or multiple transducers or in an array configurations. The ultrasound waves may be of any shape, and may be focused or unfocused.

A laser scanning microscope produces molecular excitation in a target material by simultaneous absorption of three or more photons to thereby provide intrinsic three-dimensional resolution. Fluorophores having single photon absorption in the short (ultraviolet or visible) wavelength range are excited by a beam of strongly focused subpicosecond pulses of laser light of relatively long (red or infrared) wavelength range. The fluorophores absorb at about one third, one fourth or even smaller fraction of the laser wavelength to produce fluorescent images of living cells and other microscopic objects. The fluorescent emission from the fluorophores increases cubicly, quarticly or even higher power law with the excitation intensity so that by focusing the laser light, fluorescence as well as photobleaching are confined to the vicinity of the focal plane. This feature provides depth of field resolution comparable to that produced by confocal laser scanning microscopes, and in addition reduces photobleaching and phototoxicity. Scanning of the laser beam by a laser scanning microscope, allows construction of images by collecting multi-photon excited fluorescence from each point in the scanned object while still satisfying the requirement for very high excitation intensity obtained by focusing the laser beam and by pulse time compressing the beam. The focused pulses also provide three-dimensional spatially resolved photochemistry which is particularly useful in photolytic release of caged effector molecules, marking a recording medium or in laser ablation or microsurgery. This invention refers explicitly to extensions of two-photon excitation where more than two photons are absorbed per excitation in this nonlinear microscopy.

The present disclosure provides a device having a casing with a barrier surface and a contact surface and a composition in the casing having a nitric oxide precursor and an isolated enzyme or live cell expressing an endogenous enzyme, for converting the nitric oxide gas precursor to nitric oxide gas or having activity on a substrate that produces a catalyst that causes the conversion of the nitric oxide gas precursor to nitric oxide gas. The present disclosure also provides methods and uses for treating wounds, microbial infections and dermatological disorders and for preserving meat products.

An implantable stent having surface features adapted to promote an organized growth pattern of infiltrating cells when implanted in a tubular organ is provided. The surface features comprise depressions, pores, projections, pleats, channels or grooves in the stent body and are designed to increase turbulence or stagnation in the flow of a liquid, such as blood through the stent, and / or to promote the growth of infiltrating cells in an organized pattern. Alternatively, the invention stent can be populated with living cells prior to implant and can be heatable from an external source of energy, thereby inducing production of therapeutic bioactive agents from ingrowing cells. The invention also provides an implantable heatable stent for transcutaneously monitoring the flow of fluid through a lumen into which the stent is implanted by measuring the rate at which the heated stent cools in response to blood flow when the source of heat is removed.

Embodiments of the invention provide three dimensional multi-layered hydrogel constructs with embedded channels, living cells and bioactive agents, and methods for making three dimensional multi-layered hydrogel constructs. The constructs can have bioactive agents to support the living cells. The multi-layered constructs can have channels for perfusion purposes and layers of different hydrogel materials.

Examination systems, including methods and apparatus, for automated assay of biological samples, such as live cells.

The invention is directed to a method for accelerating the cell cycle by delivering to a cell an effective amount of electromagnetic energy. The invention also provides a method for activating a cell cycle regulator by delivering to a cell an effective amount of electromagnetic energy. Also provided by the invention is a method for activating a signal transduction protein; a method for activating a transcription factor; a method for activating a DNA synthesis protein; and a method for activating a Receptor. A method for inhibiting an angiotensin receptor as well as a method for reducing inflammation also are provided by the present invention. The invention also is directed to a method for replacing damaged neuronal tissue as well as a method for stimulating growth of administered cells.

A composite product is disclosed as a collagen support comprising at least one porous collagen layer covered on at least one side with an essentially compact collagen membrane consisting either of a collagen film prepared by drying a collagen gel, preferably in air or a gaseous fluid, or of a very highly compressed collagen sponge. At least one of the two layers, i.e. the porous layer and the essentially compact membrane, may comprise normal, genetically modified or malignant living cells originating particularly from young or elderly subjects. This composite product is used as a collagen support for the manufacture of artificial skin intended especially for performing in vitro tests on the efficacy of potentially active substances or for reconstructing damaged areas of skin in vivo.

The present disclosure relates to methods of and systems for modifying the transcriptional regulation of stem or progenitor cells to promote their differentiation or reprogramming of somatic cells. Further, the labeling and editing of human genomic loci in live cells with three orthogonal CRISPR / Cas9 components allow multicolor detection of genomic loci with high spatial resolution, which provides an avenue for barcoding elements of the human genome in the living state.

An Interactive Transparent Individual Cells Biochip Processor (ITICBP) device is described, which is useful for assessing a single, individual living cell at identifiable location or assessing group of cells each at identifiable location.

The invention relates to methods and reagents for influencing alternative RNA splicing in living cells. More particularly, the invention relates to novel means for influencing RNA splice choice in living cells using polynucleotide-based reagents that compete for binding sites in nucleotide binding proteins, and novel methods for using these reagents as therapeutics.