The invention provides a defined low protein culture medium for maintaining cells in an undifferentiated state, the medium comprising: a basal medium, an organic acid from the tricarboxylic acid cycle, nonessential amino acids, a combination of growth factors selected from the group consisting of FGF-2 protein, an IGF-1 protein or insulin, a Transferrin protein, and a TGF beta 1 protein, wherein the medium is essentially feeder-free, essentially xeno-free, essentially free of beta-mercaptoethanol, and essentially free of animal-derived or human-derived proteins.

Methods for differentiating pluripotent stem cells to neuroectoderm in dynamic suspension culture using small molecule or protein inhibitors of TGFβ/Activin/Nodal signaling and BMP signaling are provided. Also provided are methot and protocols for differentiating pluripotent stem cells such as human embryonic stem cells first to neuroectoderm, then further to glial progenitor cells, and further to oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), and compositions obtained thereby. The methods of the present disclosure reproducibly produce 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 invention provides a method of producing a synthetic retina, comprising: i) providing a three dimensional stem cell culture throughout the differentiation time course, ii) differentiating the three dimensional stem cell culture for a first time period in a first neural cell culture medium comprising: a) L-glutamine; b) B27 supplement; and c) an IGF-1 receptor agonist, iii) subsequently differentiating the three dimensional stem cell culture for a second time period in a second neural cell culture medium comprising: a) L-glutamine; b) B27 supplement; c) N2 supplement; and d) an IGF-1 receptor agonist, wherein said synthetic retina contains laminated retinal tissue comprising.

In some aspects, described herein are cell culture media that are useful for in vitro culture of mammalian cells. The culture media contain a variety of small organic compounds that are found in normal adult human blood. Also described are methods of using the culture media for a variety of purposes. Also described are methods of treating cancer.

The present disclosure relates to methods for producing dopaminergic cells and evaluating their functionality. When pluripotent human embryonic stem cells are cultured on plates coated with laminin-111, laminin-121, laminin-521, laminin-421, or laminin-511 in cell culture medium containing a GSK3 inhibitor and a TGF-β inhibitor as well as timely administered fibroblast growth factor, desired neural cells are produced at far higher rates. Useful cell culture kits for producing such dopaminergic cells are also described herein, as are methods of using such cells for stem cell therapy.

In one embodiment, the present application discloses a cell culture medium for culturing cell lines suitable for producing a therapeutic protein, comprising an amino acid selected from a group consisting of L-arginine, L-asparagine, L-proline, L leucine and L hydroxyproline and a mixture thereof; a vitamin selected from a group consisting of ascorbic acid Mg.sup.2+ salt, biotin, pyridoxine HCL, folic acid, riboflavin and D-calcium pantothenate, and a mixture thereof; an element selected from a group consisting of ammonium meta vanadate, sodium meta vanadate, germanium dioxide, barium acetate, aluminum chloride, rubidium chloride, cadmium chloride, ammonium molybedate, stannous chloride, cobalt chloride, chromium sulfate, silver nitrate, sodium metasilicate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate H.sub.2O, manganous chloride, ferric nitrate 9H.sub.2O, ferrous sulfate 7H.sub.2O, ferric ammonium citrate, magnesium chloride anhydrous, and magnesium sulfate anhydrous, and a mixture thereof; a nucleoside selected from a group consisting of uridine and cystidine; a sugar selected from a group consisting of galactose, mannose and N-Acetyl-D-Mannosamine; and a triple buffering system comprising sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and HEPES; wherein the cell culture medium is animal component-free, plant component-free, serum-free, growth factors-free, recombinant protein-free, lipid-free, steroid-free, and free of plant or animal hydrolysates and/or extracts.

The present invention provides methods and uses of neural cells differentiated from adult stem cells of the oral mucosa for cell therapy of neurological and psychiatric diseases and disorders. Methods for direction of differentiation of oral mucosal stem cells into neuronal or neuron supporting cells are also provided.

The present disclosure relates to CO.sub.2-based chromatography for the efficient and precise separation of Vitamin D metabolites.

Methods for obtaining multipotent Apelin receptor-positive lateral plate mesoderm cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and mesangioblasts under serum-free conditions are disclosed.

Vitronectin-derived cell culture substrates and methods of using the same for culturing pluripotent stem cells are presented. Also provided herein are defined culture systems for maintaining human pluripotent stem cells in a substantially undifferentiated state, where the defined culture system comprises human pluripotent stem cells, a defined culture medium, and at least one polypeptide selected from the group consisting of residues 43 to 378 of SEQ ID NO:1 and residues 45 to 378 of SEQ ID NO:1, and where the defined culture medium comprises insulin, selenium, transferrin, L-ascorbic acid, FGF2, DMEM/F12, NaHCO.sub.3, and one of TGFβ and NODAL.