The presently disclosed subject matter provides for in vitro methods of inducing differentiation of stem cells (e.g., human stem cells) into proprioceptors, proprioceptors generated by such methods, and compositions comprising such proprioceptors. The presently disclosed subject matter also provides for uses of such proprioceptors for preventing and/or treating disorders of proprioceptor neurons and/or neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Friedreich's Ataxia).

Disclosed herein are methods for directing a differentiation protocol to produce cells of a desired cell fate, such as SC-β and/or SC-α cells.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing a pluripotent stem cell capable of differentiating into a specific cell. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a pluripotent stem cell capable of differentiating into a specific cell, the method including (i) a step of measuring, in a pluripotent stem cell as a sample, a phenotype associated with induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition before differentiation induction; and (ii) a step of acquiring a pluripotent stem cell capable of differentiating into a specific cell using the measured phenotype as an indicator. According to the present invention, there are further provided a method of selecting a pluripotent stem cell capable of differentiating into a specific cell; a pluripotent stem cell capable of differentiating into a specific cell; a production method of a differentiated cell; a differentiated cell; and a method for quality evaluation of a pluripotent stem cell.

A method for arterial endothelial-enhanced functional T cell generation is provided. In the method, arterial endothelial cells enhance functional T cell generation by promoting the generation of hematopoietic progenitor cells with T-lineage bias. The first stage of T cell differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is optimized, and it is found that hPSC-derived autologous arterial endothelial cells increase the T cell potential of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Moreover, the T cells generated by arterial endothelial cell priming share similar function to that of human peripheral blood T cells. hPSC-derived CD19-CAR-T cells have been verified to have tumor-killing effects both in vivo and in vitro. The established hPSC-T differentiation system would provide a valuable resource for chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy.

Provided is a method for isolating a ureteric bud tip cell from cells, a tissue, or an organoid comprising the ureteric bud tip cell, comprising the following steps of contacting the cells, tissue, or organoid comprising the ureteric bud tip cell with a very low density lipoprotein receptor (VLDL-R) binding agent, and isolating the ureteric bud tip cell using the binding agent as an indicator.

The present invention provides a limb bud mesenchymal cell population, which is derived from mammalian lateral plate mesoderm cells, and is PRRX1 protein-positive.

The present invention provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells and the products related to or resulting from such methods. In particular, the present invention provides an improved method for the formation of pancreatic hormone expressing cells and pancreatic hormone secreting cells. In addition, the present invention also provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells without the use of a feeder cell layer and the products related to or resulting from such methods. The present invention also provides methods to promote glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in insulin-producing cells derived from pluripotent stem cells.

The invention relates to a method for detecting residual, undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) in a culture of cells differentiated from PSCs, the method comprising: culturing the cells on a substrate coated with laminin-521 and E-cadherin in a medium comprising a ROCK inhibitor; quantitating in the cultured cells expression of a marker of residual, undifferentiated PSCs; and comparing the marker expression in the cultured cells with the marker expression in a reference culture of cells comprising a known proportion of PSCs, wherein lower marker expression in the culture of cells than marker expression in the reference culture of cells indicates absence of residual, undifferentiated PSCs in the cultured cells or presence of residual, undifferentiated PSCs in the cultured cells at a proportion lower than the known proportion of PSCs in the reference culture of cells. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a therapeutic composition and a method for treating or preventing a condition in a subject.

The present invention is primarily directed to provide a new process capable of performing direct conversion of or induction from a somatic cell to brown adipocytes with low molecular weight compounds, without performing artificial gene transfer.

The present invention includes, for example, a process for producing brown adipocytes by direct differentiation induction from somatic cells, comprising a step of culturing a somatic cell in a serum-free differentiation induction medium in the presence of a selective PPARγ agonist and a cAMP inducer.

According to the present invention, direct conversion of or induction from somatic cells to brown adipocytes can be effectively performed without gene transfer. The brown adipocytes obtained by the present invention are useful as regenerative medicine, models of human brown adipocytes and human beige cells, and the like.

Methods for preparing T cells or NK cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is described. The methods entail: isolating a population of T cells, generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from the T cells, introducing a nucleic acid molecule encoding a CAR into the iPSCs to create CAR iPSCs; and differentiating the CAR iPSCs into CAR T cells or CAR NK cells.