1. A method of preparing breastmilk stem cell(s) (BSC) or a spheroid comprising or consisting of BSC, comprising the steps of:
a) separating cells from non-cellular portions of breastmilk obtained from a subject, wherein said cells comprise a mixture of cells;
b) growing the mixture of cells in suspension culture form one or more spheroid; and
c) harvesting said one or more spheroids, wherein said one or more spheroids comprise or consist of said BSC.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of growing said mixture of cells comprises the proliferation of a cell.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of growing said mixture of cells comprises selective proliferation of said BSC.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one spheroid is harvested after growing in suspension culture for up to 12-14 days.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one spheroid is harvested after growing in suspension culture for 9 days.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of passaging said at least one spheroid in suspension culture after step (b) and before step (c).
7. The method of claim 6 wherein said passaging comprises dissociating said at least one spheroid.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one spheroid is grown in a low-binding cell culture vessel.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one spheroid is grown in a feeder-free culture.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of growing said mixture of cells in suspension culture comprises growing said cells in the presence of any one or more of the following, or combinations thereof: growth factors, insulin, transferrin, selenium, nicotinamide, dexamethasone, fetal bovine serum or non-essential amino acids (NNEA).
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said growth factors are selected from epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein said BSC is a pluripotent stem cell.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the breastmilk is human breastmilk and wherein said BSC is a human pluripotent stem cell.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein said human BSC (hBSC) expresses Oct4, Sox2, Nanog andor Klf4.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein said human BSC (hBSC) expresses Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, SSEA4 and TRA-1-6081.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein said breastmilk is obtained from a subject after initiation of feeding.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein said breastmilk is obtained after or at the end of said feeding.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein said breastmilk is obtained from about 0 minutes to about one hour after said feeding.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the breastmilk is obtained about 25-30 minutes after said feeding.
20. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of differentiating said BSC.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein said BSC is differentiated to become a myoepithelial cell, a luminal cell, a lactocyte, a neural cell, a stromal cell, an osteoblast, a chondrocyte, an adipocyte, a cardiomyocyte, a hepatocyte, or a beta islet cell
22. Breastmilk stem cell(s) (BSC) or a spheroid comprising or consisting of BSC prepared according to the method of claim 1.
23. The BSC of claim 22 wherein said cell is a pluripotent stem cell.
24. The BSC of claim 22 wherein said cell has low tumorigenicity and does not form teratomas.
25. Isolated breastmilk stem cell(s) (BSC), wherein said BSC is a pluripotent stem cell or a progenitor or a more committed cell.
26. The isolated BSC of claim 25, wherein said BSC is capable of differentiating or has differentiated to become a myoepithelial cell, a luminal cell, a lactocyte, a neural cell, a stromal cell, an osteoblast, a chondrocyte, an adipocyte, a cardiomyocyte, a hepatocyte, or a beta islet cell.
27. A composition comprising the BSC or the spheroid comprising or consisting of the BSC of claim 22.
28. A composition comprising the BSC or the spheroid comprising or consisting of the BSC of claim 25.
29. A method of treating milk production deficiency in a lactating female in need thereof comprising administering to said female the cell or the spheroid comprising or consisting of the cells of claim 22 in an amount effective to treat said milk production deficiency.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein the cell is autologous to the patient.
31. The method of claim 29, wherein the patient is an infant and the cell is obtained from the breastmilk of the infant’s mother.
32. A method of treating milk production deficiency in a lactating female in need thereof comprising administering to said female the cell or the spheroid comprising or consisting of the cells of claim 25 in an amount effective to treat said milk production deficiency.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein the cell is autologous to the patient.
34. The method of claim 32, wherein the patient is an infant and the cell is obtained from the breastmilk of the infant’s mother.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A modular conveyor belt comprising a series of rows of belt modules and hinge pins hingedly interlinking consecutive belt rows end-to-end to form a conveyor belt, each row including at least one module comprising a body section extending from a first end to a second end in the direction of belt travel, a first plurality of hinge elements along the first end, and a second plurality of hinge elements along the second end, the first plurality of hinge elements of a row being interleaved with the second plurality of hinge elements of an adjacent row and pivotally joined by a hinge pin in a hinged connection between consecutive rows of belt modules, wherein the body section of at least some of the modules includes a conveying surface, at least one cavity formed in the body section and opening onto the conveying surface, and a cylindrical roller rotatably disposed in the cavity to rotate about an axis oblique to the direction of belt travel with a salient portion of each roller protruding above the conveying surface to engage conveyed articles in rolling contact.
2. A modular conveyor belt as in claim 1 wherein the body section further includes a driving surface opposite the conveying surface and wherein the cavity opens onto the driving surface.
3. A modular conveyor belt as in claim 2 wherein the diameter of the cylindrical roller is greater than the thickness of the belt.
4. A modular conveyor belt as in claim 2 wherein the cylindrical roller protrudes through the conveying surface to engage conveyed articles in rolling contact and protrudes through the driving surface to engage a roller bearing surface to rotate the roller as the belt is driven.
5. A modular conveyor belt as in claim 1 further comprising an axle spanning the cavity in the body section along an axis oblique to the direction of belt travel and wherein the cylindrical roller includes a central bore to accommodate the axle.