The present invention relates to a cell therapeutic agent comprising a stem cell expressing Lin28, a pharmaceutical composition comprising a stem cell expressing Lin28 for the prevention or treatment of a neurological disorder, a bone disorder, a muscular system disorder, an epithelium-related disorder or a blood-related disorder, and a method for treating a neurological disorder, a bone disorder, a muscular system disorder, an epithelium-related disorder or a blood-related disorder using the composition. A stem cell excellent in terms of differentiation potency to various tissue cells and renewal ability can be prepared by introducing Lin28, which regulates an embryonic development procedure, or a vector expressing Lin28 during stem cell culturing, and by culturing the cell.

Disclosed herein are kits comprising transcription factors for inducing a fibroblast cell into an induced embryonic neural progenitor cell. The induced embryonic neural progenitor cell is then capable of differentiating into an astrocyte, an oligodendrocyte or a neuron. Also disclosed are the uses of the kit as a platform for selecting a drug candidate to treat neurological diseases.

Provided are a method for producing undifferentiated cell spheroids, the method comprising the step of culturing undifferentiated cells on a cell-adhesive surface of a cell culture sheet; a method for maintaining cell spheroids in an undifferentiated state, the method comprising the step of culturing undifferentiated cell spheroids on a cell-adhesive surface of a cell culture sheet; and a cell spheroid obtained by the method.

A particulate lyophilized platelet lysate composition suitable for use as a cell culture medium can include growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines released from lysis of source platelets, wherein cellular debris from the source platelets is removed (partially or fully) by filtration. The growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines are lyophilized to form a particulate lyophilized platelet lysate composition.

Provided in the present invention are uses of a compound as represented by formula I in preparing a stem cell apoptosis antagonist. Also provided are uses of the compound as represented by formula I in preparing a medicament for preventing or treating cell apoptosis-related diseases, and a culturing method employing the compound as represented by formula I for stem cell culturing. The compound as represented by formula I is (I). ##STR00001##

A method of culturing human induced pluripotent stem cells includes inoculating human induced pluripotent stem cells in a culture medium at an inoculation density of 1.0×10.sup.4 to 1.0×10.sup.6 cells/cm.sup.2 in a culture vessel and subjecting the human induced pluripotent stem cells to two-dimensional culturing. A method of producing cerebral organoids includes culturing a culture of the human induced pluripotent stem cells obtained by the method of culturing human induced pluripotent stem cells in a culture medium containing a BMP inhibitor and a transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) inhibitor to form cell aggregates, culturing the cell aggregates in a culture medium containing a Wnt signal transduction pathway potentiator and an extracellular matrix, and subjecting the culturing obtained in the culturing the cell aggregates to spinner culturing.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for treating, ameliorating or preventing a retinal disease or condition; improving a photopic (day light) vision; for improving correcting visual acuity, improving macular function, improving a visual field, or improving scotopic (night) vision by administration of retinal progenitor cells. The subject matter described herein also provides cell populations comprising retinal progenitor cells and methods of isolation thereof.

Provided are compositions and methods comprising an epigenetic agent and a Wnt agonist for increasing proliferation of cochlear supporting cells or vestibular supporting cells, and related methods of treating inner ear hearing or balance disorders.

Various aspects and embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods of treating a subject having an ocular condition, methods of isolating ocular stem cells, methods of selecting and/or producing ocular grafts for transplantation, and methods of promoting ocular cell regeneration as well as to grafts and preparations containing isolated ocular stem cells characterized by the expression of ABCB5 on their cell surface.

The present invention provides a method for producing retinal cells or a retinal tissue, comprising the following steps (1)-(3): (1) a first step of culturing human pluripotent stem cells in the absence of feeder cells and in a medium comprising a factor for maintaining undifferentiated state, (2) a second step of culturing the pluripotent stem cells obtained in the first step in suspension in the presence of a Sonic hedgehog signal transduction pathway activating substance to form a cell aggregate, and (3) a third step of culturing the aggregate obtained in the second step in suspension in the presence of a 1) a BMP signal transduction pathway activating substance to obtain an aggregate containing retinal cells or a retinal tissue.