The present invention relates to a method of isolating a mesenchymal stem cell population from the amniotic membrane of the umbilical cord, the method comprising cultivating umbilical cord tissue in a culture medium comprising DMEM (Dulbecco's modified eagle medium), F12 (Ham's F12 Medium), M171 (Medium 171) and FBS (Fetal Bovine Serum). The invention also relates to a mesenchymal stem population isolated from the amniotic membrane of the umbilical cord, wherein at least about 90% or more cells of the stem cell population express each of the following markers: CD73, CD90 and CD105 and lack expression of the following markers: CD34, CD45 and HLA-DR. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition of this mesenchymal stem population.

Disclosed herein are differentiation methods for producing SC-β cells, as well as methods for screening stem cell-derived cells to measure gene expression. Also disclosed herein are SC-EC cells.

The present invention provides methods to promote differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to pancreatic endoderm cells expressing PDX1, NKX6.1, and HB9. In particular, the methods encompass culturing Stage 4 to Stage 6 cells with a thyroid hormone (e.g. T3), an ALK5 inhibitor, or both.

The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for treating demyelinating conditions. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to compositions comprising a DUOC-01 cell product; methods for preparing such compositions; and methods of using such compositions for treating demyelinating conditions.

The present invention relates to the discovery that different stem cell types (e.g., bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSC)) undergo large changes in lung epithelial marker expression depending on the substrate on which they are cultured. The present invention includes methods and compositions for differentiating of mesenchymal stem cells, such as bone marrow and adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells, into lung cells, populations of lung cells, and methods of alleviating or treating a lung defect in a subject in need thereof.

A population of enteroendocrine cells (EEC) is obtained from a mammalian post-natal cell population, such as a population including post-natal stem cells, by treating the population with a plurality of small molecules that upregulate ChgA and promote differentiation of the cells to form the enteroendocrine cells. The upregulation of ChgA is such that the fraction of cells expressing CGA in the obtained cell population, as measured by a ChgA Immunostaining Assay, is at least about 1.5%. Small molecules that can be used to differentiate the post-natal cells into the enteroendocrine cells can include at least one of a Wnt activator, a Notch inhibitor, a Wnt inhibitor, a MEK/ERK inhibitor, a growth factor, a HDAC inhibitor, a Histone Methylation Inhibitor, a Tgf-β inhibitor, and a NeuroD1 activator. Also, the insulin expression of a population of mammalian cells is increased by treating the population with a plurality of small molecules that increase the insulin expression.

The present invention aims to provide a method for suppressing differentiation of ganglion cell, amacrine cell, horizontal cell and/or bipolar cell in a neural retina tissue containing photoreceptor precursor and/or photoreceptor, and the like. A method for suppressing differentiation of a ganglion cell, an amacrine cell, a horizontal cell and/or a bipolar cell in a neural retinal tissue containing a photoreceptor precursor and/or a photoreceptor, including a step of culturing a retinal tissue comprising a neural retinal progenitor cell and in any stage between a differentiation stage immediately after emergence of a ganglion cell and a differentiation stage where emergence rate of a cone photoreceptor precursor reaches maximum in a medium containing a thyroid gland hormone signal transduction pathway agonist.

The invention described herein provides a method for generating oligocortical spheroids from (human) pluripotent stem cells. The cortical spheroids so generated produces maturing oligodendrocytes that can, for example, myelinate axons, and model myelin disease and drug effects.

The present invention relates to a method of isolating a mesenchymal stem cell population from the amniotic membrane of the umbilical cord, the method comprising cultivating umbilical cord tissue in a culture medium comprising DMEM (Dulbecco's modified eagle medium), F12 (Ham's F12 Medium), M171 (Medium 171) and FBS (Fetal Bovine Serum). The invention also relates to a mesenchymal stem population isolated from the amniotic membrane of the umbilical cord, wherein at least about 90% or more cells of the stem cell population express each of the following markers: CD73, CD90 and CD105 and lack expression of the following markers: CD34, CD45 and HLA-DR. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition of this mesenchymal stem population.

Disclosed herein are methods, compositions, kits, and agents useful for inducing cell maturation, and isolated populations of SC- cells for use in various applications, such as cell therapy.