The invention relates to preparation of neuronal precursor cells, compositions comprising same and therapeutic uses.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide a process for producing a neuron-like cell from a somatic cell, a neuron-like cell obtained thereby, and a composition comprising a combination of chemical substances that can be used for said process without performing artificial gene transfer.

The invention can include, for example, a process for producing neuron-like cells, characterized by comprising a step of culturing somatic cells in the presence of two kinds of inhibitors, i.e., a TGF-β inhibitor and a BMP inhibitor, as well as any three or more selected from the group consisting of four kinds, i.e., a cAMP inducer, a GSK3 inhibitor, an Erk-inhibitor, and a p53-inhibitor, wherein the TGF-β inhibitor is a selective ALK5 inhibitor, and a neuron-like cell obtained by said process.

The neuron-like cells obtained according to the present invention are useful in regenerative medicine and the like.

The present disclosure relates to methods for enhancing cultured meat production, such as livestock-autonomous meat production. In certain aspects, the meat is any metazoan tissue or cell-derived comestible product intended for use as a comestible food or nutritional component by humans, companion animals, domesticated or captive animals whose carcasses are intended for comestible use, service animals, conserved animal species, animals used for experimental purposes, or cell cultures.

The present invention relates to isolated Nato3 mutant polypeptides. Methods for stimulating a brain cell to differentiate into a dopaminergic progenitor neuronal cell or a dopaminergic neuron comprises increasing phosphorylation of Nato3 in the brain cells and culturing the brain cells until a progenitor dopaminergic neuronal cell marker or a dopaminergic neuronal cell marker is expressed in the cultured brain cells. Methods for treating Parkinson's disease (PD) in a subject comprises administering to the subject in need thereof, a composition comprising progenitor dopaminergic neuronal cells and/or dopaminergic neuronal cells expressing a Nato3 mutant polypeptide to the brain of the subject.

The present invention relates to a nano-ligand for promoting cell adhesion and differentiation of stem cells and a method of promoting cell adhesion and differentiation of stem cells by using the nano-ligand, and the method of promoting cell adhesion and differentiation of stem cells according to the present invention may temporally and spatially, and reversibly control nano-ligand sliding by applying a magnetic field to a substrate including the nano-ligands, and efficiently control stem cell adhesion and differentiation ex vivo or in vivo through the magnetic-field based on spatiotemporal control.

Methods for production of platelets from pluripotent stem cells, such as human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are provided. These methods may be performed without forming embryoid bodies or clusters of pluripotent stem cells, and may be performed without the use of stromal inducer cells. Additionally, the yield and/or purity can be greater than has been reported for prior methods of producing platelets from pluripotent stem cells. Also provided are compositions and pharmaceutical preparations comprising platelets, preferably produced from pluripotent stem cells.

The present disclosure relates to a microfluidic devices and methods for culturing bone marrow cells. Aspects include methods of preparing microfluidic devices and culturing bone marrow cells with the microfluidic devices. In some aspects, a method includes providing a microfluidic device having an upper chamber, a lower chamber, and a porous membrane separating the upper chamber from the lower chamber. The method further includes seeding walls of the lower chamber and a bottom surface of the membrane with endothelial cells. The method further includes providing a matrix within the upper chamber. The matrix includes fibrin gel and bone marrow cells. The method further includes filling or perfusing the upper chamber with a media.

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.

Methods and products for obtaining cardiovascular lineage cells from hPSCs. The method comprises one or more of the following steps: (a) contacting BMP component primed hPSCs with a cardiovascular mesoderm programming cocktail and culturing the contacted hPSCs for a period of time to generate a KDR+ and PDGFRalpha+ cardiovascular mesoderm cell population; (b) contacting the cardiovascular mesoderm cell population with a cardiovascular progenitor specification cocktail and culturing the contacted cardiovascular mesoderm cell population for a period of time to generate a NKX2-5+ or WT1+ cardiovascular progenitor cell population; and (c) contacting the cardiovascular progenitor cell population with a maturation cocktail and culturing the contacted cardiovascular progenitor population for a period of time to produce a cardiovascular population optionally cardiomyocyte lineage cells expressing cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and/or SIRPA and/or epicardial lineage cells expressing WT1.

The present invention provides methods, cell cultures and differentiation media to promote differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to pancreatic endocrine cells of a mature phenotype. The resulting pancreatic endocrine cells express single hormonal insulin, PDX1, NKX6.1, and MAFA. In one or more differentiation stages, culturing may be carried out in a culture vessel at the air-liquid interface.