The present invention provides a method for culturing a fish germ stem cell, including culturing the stem cell on a surface coated with vitronectin and in a medium containing the following 8 components: (1) insulin, (2) selenium, (3) transferrin, (4) L-ascorbic acid, (5) FGF2, (6) TGF, (7) NaHCO.sub.3 or KHCO.sub.3, (8) L-glutamine.

The present disclosure provides methods of generating germ layers from stem cells comprising culturing the stem cells in a culture media having osmolality ranges that promote the generation of specific germ layer progenitor cells. The present disclosure also includes a method to generate different cell lineages from the germ layers as well as to detect them by immunological methods. The present disclosure further provides methods for the generation, isolation, cultivation and propagation of committed progenitor cells and for the production of differentiated cells from the three germ layers. The present disclosure also provides culture media and kits for use in inducing the three germ layers.

The present invention provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into insulin producing cells. In particular, the present invention provides a method to produce a population of cells, wherein greater than 85% of the cells in the population express markers characteristic of the definitive endoderm lineage.

Methods of generating a synthetic embryo are provided. Accordingly, there is provided a method of generating a synthetic embryo comprising inducing expression of a factor that induces differentiation to trophectoderm cells in a subpopulation of nave pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) to obtain a trophectoderm primed cells; inducing expression of a factor that induces differentiation to extra embryonic primitive endodermal cells in a second subpopulation of nave PSCs to obtain extra embryonic primitive endodermal primed cells; and mixing said trophectoderm primed cells and said extra embryonic primitive endodermal primed cells with nave PSCs under conditions that allow formation of aggregated cells. Also provided are articles of manufactures, mixtures and aggregates of cells and methods of using same.

Provided herein are methods of generating gonadal cell populations such as ovarian somatic cells from pluripotent stem cells. Also included are gonadal cell populations, as well as intermediate cell populations generated therein.

An agent for directional control of differentiation induction of a pluripotent stem cell, which contains an E-cadherin inhibitor, and its uses are disclosed. A method for controlling the directionality of differentiation induction of a pluripotent stem cell is also disclosed. The method includes a step of culturing a pluripotent stem cell in a medium comprising an E-cadherin inhibitor.

The present invention relates to a method for differentiating hair follicle cells into germline stem cells, germline stem cells differentiated by the method, and use of the same germline stem cells. A method of differentiating hair follicle cells into germline stem cells according to the present invention can differentiate hair follicle cells into germline stem cells using culture conditions only, without genetic modification. Capable of inducing differentiation of cells of specific individual types, such as hair follicle cells, into cells of different types such as germline cells, the present invention is therefore expected to be usefully used for the understanding of reproductive biology and the clinical application thereof.

Methods are described for differentiating stem and post-natal cells into sex hormone-producing cells that can be administered to a patient autologously or allogeneically in order to maintain in balance, or rebalance, their hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis.