A method of treating a subject with dry-form age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is disclosed. The method comprises administering into the subretina of the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising human RPE cells, wherein at least 95% of the cells thereof co-express premelanosome protein (PMEL17) and cellular retinaldehyde binding protein (CRALBP), wherein the trans-epithelial electrical resistance of the cells is greater than 100 ohms to the subject, thereby treating the subject.

A method of treating a subject with dry-form age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is disclosed. The method comprises administering into the subretina of the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising human RPE cells, wherein at least 95% of the cells thereof co-express premelanosome protein (PMEL17) and cellular retinaldehyde binding protein (CRALBP), wherein the trans-epithelial electrical resistance of the cells is greater than 100 ohms to the subject, thereby treating the subject.

The present invention relates to a method for inducing the differentiation of corneal epithelial cells from pluripotent stem cells. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for autonomously differentiating pluripotent stem cells, such as human iPS cells, into ectodermal cell lineage in a serum-free medium without using feeder cells and inducing the differentiation of the resultant ocular surface ectodermal lineage cells into corneal epithelial cells.

The present invention provides a method with which it is possible to directly induce nervous system cells efficiently and in a short amount of time. Because the method is easy to scale up and is not affected by the characteristics or background of the somatic cells used as material, the method enables the stable supply of nervous system cells. The nervous system cells obtained by the method are useful in various fields of research and healthcare.

The present invention provides a method with which it is possible to directly induce nervous system cells efficiently and in a short amount of time. Because the method is easy to scale up and is not affected by the characteristics or background of the somatic cells used as material, the method enables the stable supply of nervous system cells. The nervous system cells obtained by the method are useful in various fields of research and healthcare.

Methods of treating spinal cord injuries are disclosed. The method comprises implanting scaffolds comprising a protruding scaffold and a supporting scaffold, wherein at least a portion of the protruding scaffold is inserted into a lesioned area of the spinal cord so as to contact the injury or diseased site, wherein the supporting scaffold does not protrude into the injury or diseased site and is in contact with the rostral and/or caudal dura of the spinal cord.

Methods of treating spinal cord injuries are disclosed. The method comprises implanting scaffolds comprising a protruding scaffold and a supporting scaffold, wherein at least a portion of the protruding scaffold is inserted into a lesioned area of the spinal cord so as to contact the injury or diseased site, wherein the supporting scaffold does not protrude into the injury or diseased site and is in contact with the rostral and/or caudal dura of the spinal cord.

The present invention relates to a method of converting human fibroblasts into neural stem cells, and more particularly, to a method of directly converting human fibroblasts into neural stem cells using only a combination of small-molecule compounds without any introduction of a foreign gene, and to the use of the neural stem cells. The method of directly converting human fibroblasts into neural stem cells using only small-molecule compounds without any introduction of a foreign gene makes it possible to obtain genetically stable neural stem cells in an amount sufficient for use in cell therapy by deriving them from human fibroblasts. The neural stem cells obtained according to the method of the present invention can differentiate into functional neural cells and are not tumorigenic. Thus, these neural stem cells are useful as cellular therapeutic agents for treatment of brain diseases.

The present invention relates to a method of converting human fibroblasts into neural stem cells, and more particularly, to a method of directly converting human fibroblasts into neural stem cells using only a combination of small-molecule compounds without any introduction of a foreign gene, and to the use of the neural stem cells. The method of directly converting human fibroblasts into neural stem cells using only small-molecule compounds without any introduction of a foreign gene makes it possible to obtain genetically stable neural stem cells in an amount sufficient for use in cell therapy by deriving them from human fibroblasts. The neural stem cells obtained according to the method of the present invention can differentiate into functional neural cells and are not tumorigenic. Thus, these neural stem cells are useful as cellular therapeutic agents for treatment of brain diseases.

The present invention relates to methods for differentiating stem cells into ventral midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells, and into mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons, and compositions, kits, and uses thereof.