Disclosed herein are induced hepatocytes from a trophoblast stem cell, methods for inducing the cells, and compositions thereof. Also disclosed herein are methods of treating a disease or disorder (e.g., liver-associated) by utilizing an induced hepatocyte disclosed herein.

Methods for derivation, culture, and maturation of small hepatic progenitor cells are described.

The present invention provides, in order to prepare matured hepatocytes analogous in various points to primary hepatocytes, a method for preparing hepatocytes or cells that can be differentiated into hepatocytes from pluripotent stem cells, comprising the steps of: (1) culturing the pluripotent stem cells in a medium containing an activator of an activin receptor-like kinase-4,7; (2) culturing the cells obtained in the step (1) in a medium containing a bone morphogenetic factor and a fibroblast growth factor; (3) culturing the cells obtained in the step (2) in a medium containing an activator of a hepatocyte growth factor receptor and an activator of an oncostatin M receptor; and (4) culturing the cells obtained in the step (3) to obtain hepatocytes or cells that can be differentiated into hepatocytes, wherein in at least one of the steps (2), (3) and (4), cells are cultured on a high-density collagen gel membrane.

Methods for generating multipotent radial glia-like cells and astrocyte-like cells from human pluripotent stem cells are provided along with the related compositions.

The present invention provides methods of inducing proliferation of and/or differentiating cells comprising contacting cells with compounds within the methods of the invention. The present invention further provides cells obtainable by the methods of the invention.

Methods for derivation, culture, and maturation of small hepatic progenitor cells are described.

Disclosed herein are induced hepatocytes from a trophoblast stem cell, methods for inducing the cells, and compositions thereof. Also disclosed herein are methods of treating a disease or disorder (e.g., liver-associated) by utilizing an induced hepatocyte disclosed herein.

Provided is an isolated population of human pluripotent stem cells comprising at least 50% human pluripotent stem cells characterized by an OCT4+/TRA1-60−/TRA1-81−/SSEA1+/SSEA4− expression signature, and novel methods of generating and maintaining same in a pluripotent, undifferentiated state a suspension culture devoid of cell clumps. Also provided are novel culture media, cell cultures and methods for culturing pluripotent stem cells in a suspension culture or a two-dimensional culture system while maintaining the cells in a proliferative, pluripotent and undifferentiated state. The novel culture media comprise interleukin 11 (IL11) and Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor (CNTF); bFGF at a concentration of at least 50 ng/ml and an IL6RIL6 chimera; or an animal contaminant-free serum replacement and an IL6RIL6 chimera. Also provided are methods for generating lineage-specific cells from the pluripotent stem cells.

The present disclosure provides methods and kits for the differentiation of stem cells into relevant liver cell lineages, as well as methods of using the relevant liver cell lineages in screening for a cellular response, a phenotype and in the treatment of a condition. In one embodiment, stem cells are first differentiated into cells of the definitive endoderm lineage, which are differentiated into posterior foregut (PFG) lineage cells by one or more of retinoic acid activators and/or one or more inhibitors of transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ). An additional embodiment provides a method for the differentiation of posterior foregut lineage cells into liver bud progenitors (LB) by one or more activators of TGFβ signalling, and/or one or more modulators of Wnt signalling, and/or one or more activators of cyclic AMP/PKA signaling; and a further embodiment provides a method for the differentiation of liver bud progenitors into hepatic progenitors by one or more inhibitors of TGFβ signalling and/or fibroblast growth factor (FGF) inhibitors and/or one or more Notch inhibitors. Another embodiment discloses the differentiation of hepatic progenitors into hepatocyte-like cells or perivenous hepatocyte-like cells by one or more of Notch inhibitors and/or activators of glucocorticoid signalling and/or one or more activators of insulin signalling and/or one or more of ascorbic acid signalling activators and/or additional factors. Methods and kits for maintaining LB in self renewal state, hepatocyte-like cells in perivenous or periportal state, as well as surface markers for LB and mid/hindgut (MHG) cells are also disclosed.

A somatic stem cell that is CD10+, CXCR4+, and CD31+ and another somatic stem cell that is CD105+, CD44+, and nestin+. Also disclosed are both a method of preparing these stem cells and a method of using them to treat degenerative diseases, e.g., a muscle-degenerative disease. The invention further includes making and using liver cells derived from the somatic cell that is CD105+, CD44+, and nestin+.