The present invention relates to methods for encapsulating pancreatic progenitors in a biocompatible semi-permeable encapsulating device. The present invention also relates to production of human insulin in a mammal in response to glucose stimulation.

The present invention provides a method of producing more mature telencephalon or a progenitor tissue thereof, in vitro, from mammalian pluripotent stem cells, comprising obtaining a telencephalon marker-positive aggregate by culturing an aggregate of pluripotent stem cells in suspension in the presence of a Wnt signal inhibitor and a TGFβ signal inhibitor, and further culturing the telencephalon marker-positive aggregate in suspension under a high oxygen partial pressure condition. In one embodiment, the suspension culture under a high oxygen partial pressure condition is performed in the presence of a Wnt signal enhancer and a bone morphogenetic factor signal transduction pathway activating substance.

To provide means for efficient growth of epithelial cells capable of being used to manufacture regenerated hair follicle germs. Provided are a culture medium for growth of epithelial cells capable of being used to manufacture regenerated hair follicle germs, the culture medium comprising basal medium and at least (1) through (3), below: and a method for growing the epithelial cells using the culture medium: (1) at least one species of BMP inhibitor: (2) at least one species of fibroblast growth factor: and (3) at least one species of sonic hedgehog (SHH) and/or SHH agonist.

Described herein are methods, compositions, and kits for directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into caudal lateral epiblasts, posterior neuroectoderm or posterior neuroepithelium, or motor neurons having specified HOX gene expression pattern mirroring a desired position along the rostral-caudal axis during hindbrain and spinal cord development. Also described are isolated populations of cells including caudal lateral epiblasts, posterior neuroectoderm, posterior neuroepithelium, or motor neurons having a HOX gene expression pattern specified to correspond to the HOX gene expression pattern associated with a desired rostral-caudal axis position.

The present invention provides a method for producing a retinal cell or a retinal tissue, including the following steps (1)-(3): (1) a first step of culturing pluripotent stem cells in the absence of feeder cells in a medium containing 1) a TGFβ family signal transduction pathway inhibiting substance and/or a Sonic hedgehog signal transduction pathway activating substance, and 2) a factor for maintaining undifferentiated state, (2) a second step of culturing the cells obtained in the first step in suspension in a medium containing a Wnt signal transduction pathway inhibiting substance to form a cell aggregate, and (3) a third step of culturing the aggregate obtained in the second step in suspension in the presence or absence of a Wnt signal transduction pathway inhibiting substance in a medium containing a BMP signal transduction pathway activating substance to obtain an aggregate containing a retinal cell or a retinal tissue.

Provided are a culture medium for expanding and cultivating human liver progenitor cells and an application thereof. The chemical components of the formula of the described culture medium are clear, no serum is present, and various components thereof cooperate with each other to synergize. The culture medium is used for the long-term expansion and cultivation of liver progenitor cells in vitro and is used for maintaining the dryness thereof, is beneficial in quickly and efficiently obtaining a large number of functional liver cells, and is suitable for clinical hepatocyte transplantation application as well as for the use of hepatocyte reactors in bioartificial livers.

The present invention provides a method for producing parasympathetic neurons from neural crest cells or autonomic neural progenitor cells derived therefrom, comprising a step of culturing the neural crest cells or autonomic neural progenitor cells derived therefrom in the presence of a cAMP production promoter, a BDNF signaling pathway activator, a GDNF signaling pathway activator, an NGF signaling pathway activator, an NT-3 signaling pathway activator, vitamin C, a protein kinase C activator, and a retinoic acid receptor agonist.

This invention relates to an in vitro system for the culture of cerebellar granule cell precursors (granule cell progenitors, GCP) comprising a culture support, mammalian GCP cells and a culture medium comprising at least SAG (Smoothened agonist) and EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor), and a method for the in vitro culture of GCP cells, use of the above-mentioned culture system or method of culture for the generation of in vitro models for study of the pathophysiology of cerebellar granules or use of the above-mentioned culture system or method of culture for use in gene therapy and cell therapy approaches to cerebellar diseases caused by damage or neurodegeneration.

The present disclosure provides methods for generating midbrain dopamine neurons (mDAs) and precursors thereof, mDAs and precursors thereof generated by such methods and compositions comprising such cells, and uses thereof for preventing and/or treating neurological disorders. The present disclosure further provides methods of isolating mDAs and precursors thereof from a cell population using novel surface markers.

Described herein are methods, compositions, and kits for directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells, neuromesodermal progenitors, and neural stem cells into bioengineered elliptical neuroepithelial tissues and bioengineered neuroepithelial tubes that contain a single rosette of polarized neuroepithelial cells and have microscale cellular organization similar to that of an in vivo developing human neural tube.