Provided herein are, inter alia, methods, compositions, and kits for culturing and improving the quality of islet cells. Included are compositions and kits for the ex vivo culture of islets or islet cells as well as methods of making and using the same. Isolated and cultured islets and islet cells are also provided.

Compositions and methods are described herein for transdifferentiation of multipotent stromal cells into cells that can express insulin.

Provided are a method for expanding a hepatocyte in vitro and an application thereof. A culture system is provided for reprogramming a human hepatocyte into a proliferating intermediate-state cell between a mature hepatocyte and a liver progenitor cell. The liver repopulation ability of the system was verified in animals. The method does not require the introduction of an exogenous gene into a hepatocyte, and the expansion of the hepatocyte can be realized by conventional culture. The obtained hepatocyte can be passaged, and can be cultured to maturation to obtain a functional mature human hepatocyte.

A three-dimensional (3D) liver organoid obtained through the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) in laboratory culture medium and a production method of the 3D hepatic organoid are provided. The production method includes the following steps: differentiating the IPSCs into a definitive endoderm in a medium containing Activin A, Wnt3a, and R-spo1 factors; adding 5 ng/ml R-spo 1 during IPSC differentiation to increase an amount of EpCAM+endoderm progenitor cells; cell sorting of the EpCAM+endoderm progenitor cells through a fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) method; culturing a sorted EpCAM+endoderm progenitor cells in a 3D Matrigel medium of 37° C., 5% CO2, 95% humidity and 7.2-7.5 pH.

Provided herein, inter alia, are compositions and methods for culturing islet cells.

The invention relates to differentiation methods for progenitor cells, e.g. mammalian epithelial stem cells, differentiation media for use in said methods, organoids and cells obtainable by said methods and uses, including therapeutic uses, thereof.

Described herein are methods for providing an in vitro intestinal model system, e.g., using primary cells instead of cell lines and/or cancerous cells.

The invention relates to improved culture methods for expanding epithelial stem cells and obtaining organoids, to culture media involved in said methods, and to uses of said organoids.

Described herein are methods for providing an in vitro intestinal model system, e.g., using primary cells instead of cell lines and/or cancerous cells.

The invention provides for methods of differentiating pancreatic endocrine cells into pancreatic beta cells expressing PDX1, NKX6.1, MAFA, UCN3 and SLC2A. These pancreatic beta cells may be obtained by step-wise differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. The pancreatic beta cells exhibit glucose-dependent mitochondrial respiration and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion similar to islet cells.