Provided are cortical interneurons and other neuronal cells and in vitro methods for producing such cortical interneurons and other neuronal cells by the directed differentiation of stem cells and neuronal progenitor cells. The present disclosure relates to novel methods of in vitro differentiation of stem cells and neural progenitor cells to produce several type neuronal cells and their precursor cells, including cortical interneurons, hypothalamic neurons and pre-optic cholinergic neurons. The present disclose describes the derivation of these cells via inhibiting SMAD and Wnt signaling pathways and activating SHH signaling pathway. The present disclosure relates to the novel discovery that the timing and duration of SHH activation can be harnessed to direct controlled differentiation of neural progenitor cells into either cortical interneurons, hypothalamic neurons or pre-optic cholinergic neurons. The present disclosure also relates to compositions of cortical interneurons, hypothalamic neurons or pre-optic cholinergic neurons, and their precursors, that are highly enriched and can be used in variety of application. These cells can be used therapeutically to treat neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, and can be used for disease modeling and drug screening.

Methods for differentiating human pluripotent stem cells to dorsal neuroectoderm progenitors and further to glial progenitor cells and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) using inhibitors of BMP signaling and MAPK/ERK signaling are provided. Also provided are cells and cellular compositions obtained by such methods, and uses of such cells. Further provided are methods and protocols for efficiently differentiating human pluripotent stem cells to OPCs in the absence of the ventralizing morphogen SHH or a SHH signaling activator. The methods of the present disclosure reproducibly produce dorsal neuroectoderm progenitor cells by day 7 of the differentiation process, glial progenitor cells by day 21 of the differentiation process and OPCs by day 42 of the differentiation process.

The present invention relates to cross-linked polymers (e.g., hydrogels) including hyaluronan polymer and multimeric cross-linker for treating disorders (e.g., retinal detachment or osteoarthritis), for use in screening models (e.g., in vitro cell culture system), or for cell transplantation (e.g., in vivo cell delivery).

Provided herein is a dual cell aggregate culture of retinal epithelial cells and photoreceptors for use as a research tool, such as the screening of compounds or model for study of retinal diseases, as well as a therapeutic for treating ocular diseases.

Provided is a use of a Neurog2 functional fragment. The functional fragment can induce, in vivo or in vitro, glial cell formation into functional neuron cells, and thus can not only have a transdifferentiation function in normal tissue, but also facilitate neural reconstruction of damaged neural tissue.

A method for producing nerve cells includes introducing NGN1 as a differentiation factor into stem cells. A method for producing nerve cells includes introducing only NeuroD4 as a differentiation factor into stem cells. A method for producing motor neurons includes introducing NGN2, ISL2, and LHX4 as differentiation factors into stem cells. A method for producing motor neurons includes introducing NGN1, ISL2, and LHX4 as differentiation factors into stem cells. A method for producing motor neurons includes introducing NeuroD4, ISL2, and LHX4 as differentiation factors into stem cells. A method for screening neurological disease therapeutic drugs includes introducing a differentiation factor into pluripotent stem cells derived from neurological disease patients and differentiating the cells into neural cells, applying a candidate drug to cells during differentiation of the pluripotent stem cells into the neural cells or to the differentiated neural cells, and screening the candidate drug on the basis of on the neural cells.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a technique whereby multiple projection targets are efficiently identified from multiple neurons in multiple brain areas with the use of multis-point light stimulation. An acquisition unit 52 acquires spike signals generated from multiple neurons existing in the vicinity of two or more recording sites. A stimulation control unit 51 selects one projection target candidate from two or more candidates in accordance with a definite system on the basis of the spike signals and then determines irradiation timing of light stimulation. Upon the light stimulation, a management unit 53 acquires the spike signals in all of the recording sites within a definite period of time before or after the light stimulation, while dividing the spike signals into anti responses and collision responses. An anti response management unit 81 acquires and manages information relating to the anti responses. A collision response management unit 82 acquires and manages information relating to the collision responses. A priority control section 54 corrects and determines priority depending on the anti response information and the collision response information.

The invention relates to mutant NQ-Rhodopsin having potassium pumping properties, nucleic acid constructs encoding same, expression vectors carrying the nucleic acid construct, cells comprising said nucleic acid construct or expression vector, and their respective uses.

Methods and systems of using X-ray radiation to irradiate X-ray sensitive biomolecules to allow for specific control over the behavior of cells via the X-ray irradiation are provided. The systems and methods are influenced by the field of optogenetics, which uses visible light instead of X-ray radiation. X-ray stimulation penetrates both bone and soft tissue with very little attenuation and can be performed without any physical contact with the sample. Image reconstruction methods using deep learning are also provided. A deep learning algorithm can be used to obtain a reconstructed image from raw data obtained via medical imaging, either with or without first performing a conventional algorithm.

Disclosed herein is a technology platform for delivering macromolecules of interest to a subject over a period of time without repeated administration. The compositions disclosed herein are comprised of genetically modified cells, engineered exosomes, and adhesive scaffold materials. The compositions are designed to sustain the supply macromolecules of interest at a site of administration for a long period of time ranging from days to months.