The present invention relates to an adult stem cell line introduced with an HGF gene and a neurogenic transcription factor gene of a bHLH family, a preparation method of the adult stem cell line, a composition for the prevention or treatment of neurological diseases comprising the adult stem cell line, and a method for treating neurological diseases comprising the step of administering the composition to a subject having neurological diseases or suspected of having neurological diseases. The adult stem cells according to the present invention, which are introduced with an HGF gene and a neurogenic transcription factor gene of a bHLH family, can be used to overcome chronic impairment caused by cell death following stroke. Thus, the adult stem cells can be developed as a novel therapeutic agent or widely used in clinical trial and research for cell replacement therapy and gene therapy that are applicable to neurological diseases including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer disease, and spinal cord injury as well as stroke.

The present invention relates to an adult stem cell line introduced with an HGF gene and a neurogenic transcription factor gene of a bHLH family, a preparation method of the adult stem cell line, a composition for the prevention or treatment of neurological diseases comprising the adult stem cell line, and a method for treating neurological diseases comprising the step of administering the composition to a subject having neurological diseases or suspected of having neurological diseases. The adult stem cells according to the present invention, which are introduced with an HGF gene and a neurogenic transcription factor gene of a bHLH family, can be used to overcome chronic impairment caused by cell death following stroke. Thus, the adult stem cells can be developed as a novel therapeutic agent or widely used in clinical trial and research for cell replacement therapy and gene therapy that are applicable to neurological diseases including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer disease, and spinal cord injury as well as stroke.

Methods are provided for the production of photoreceptor cells and photoreceptor progenitor cells from pluripotent stem cells. Additionally provided are compositions of photoreceptor cells and photoreceptor cells, as well as methods for the therapeutic use thereof. Exemplary methods may produce substantially pure cultures of photoreceptor cells and/or photoreceptor cells.

Methods are provided for the production of photoreceptor cells and photoreceptor progenitor cells from pluripotent stem cells. Additionally provided are compositions of photoreceptor cells and photoreceptor cells, as well as methods for the therapeutic use thereof. Exemplary methods may produce substantially pure cultures of photoreceptor cells and/or photoreceptor cells.

Disclosed herein are methods and materials for transdifferentiating mesenchymal stem cells into neural progenitor cells.

Disclosed herein are methods and materials for transdifferentiating mesenchymal stem cells into neural progenitor cells.

Provided herein is a method for making a tissue engineering scaffold. The method includes layering at least one sheet of cells onto a flexible scaffold, casting the sheets into geometries, and thereby creating the tissue engineering scaffold. Preferred geometry are non-linear (i.e. not a substantially flat surface such as may be provided by a flat glass substrate). The flexible scaffold is characterized by tensile strength, viscosity, stress, strain, modulus of polymers, or any combination thereof.

The present invention aims to provide a method for preparing an RPE cell, and an RPE cell prepared by the method, and a reagent for producing an RPE cell which is suitable for the method. The method of the present invention includes the following step: a step of introducing, as exogeneous factors, MITF (Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor) gene or an expression product thereof, OTX2 (Orthodenticle homeobox 2) gene or an expression product thereof, LIN28 gene or an expression product thereof, and L-MYC gene or an expression product thereof into a mammalian somatic cell.

The present invention aims to provide a method for preparing an RPE cell, and an RPE cell prepared by the method, and a reagent for producing an RPE cell which is suitable for the method. The method of the present invention includes the following step: a step of introducing, as exogeneous factors, MITF (Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor) gene or an expression product thereof, OTX2 (Orthodenticle homeobox 2) gene or an expression product thereof, LIN28 gene or an expression product thereof, and L-MYC gene or an expression product thereof into a mammalian somatic cell.

Provided herein are methods, compositions of matter, and devices for treating diseases and illnesses of the eye, including retinal conditions such as macular degeneration.