An object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing osteoblasts that are applicable, without causing risk of canceration, to bone defect repair or to the treatment of bone resorption, fracture, osteoporosis, or the like. To solve this problem, the present invention provides a method for preparing osteoblasts, the method comprising culturing mammal differentiated somatic cells in a medium in the presence of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of (1) statin compounds, (2) casein kinase 1 inhibitors, (3) cAMP inducers, and (4) histone methyltransferase inhibitors, to convert the somatic cells into osteoblasts.

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and compositions for enhancing the effectiveness of -cell (Beta-cell)-based therapies. Also disclosed herein are methods, systems, and compositions related to identifying, sorting and separating heterogeneous populations of stem cell-derived pancreatic -cells (sBCs) into more useful and functionally homogeneous cell populations. In many embodiments, the most mature and functional of the sBCs are identified and live-sorted using the cell surface protein Ectonucleoside Triphosphate Diphosphohydrolase-3 (ENTP3), which is also referred to as CD39L3. The presently disclosed methods, systems, and compositions are useful for cell therapies, for example replacement therapy. In many embodiments the disclosed systems, methods, and compositions are useful in treatments for diabetes. In some embodiments, the disclosed methods, systems, and compositions may be useful in treating, preventing, and/or curing diabetes, for example type-1 diabetes.