Provided is a culture medium containing amphiregulin for culturing primary breast epithelial cells and a culture method involving using the medium. In the culturing method, primary cells are cultured on a culture vessel coated with an extracellular matrix gel by using the culture medium, and the primary cells grow on the culture vessel, which has been coated with the extracellular matrix gel, and proliferate rapidly under the combined action of nutrient factors and an extracellular matrix contained in the primary cell culture medium. The cell model obtained by the primary cell culture medium and the primary cell culture method can be used for the evaluating the efficacy of and screening drugs.

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.

The present invention is primarily directed to provide a new composition for a medium which can be used for differentiation induction from somatic cells to brown adipocytes.

The present invention can include, for example, a composition for a medium used in differentiation induction from somatic cells to brown adipocytes, wherein the composition comprises the following seven components: a thyroid hormone receptor agonist, a glucocorticoid receptor agonist, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, insulin, an ascorbic acid derivative, albumin, and an antibiotic.

According to the present invention, direct differentiation induction from somatic cells to brown adipocytes can be effectively performed. In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively maintain brown adipocytes.

Disclosed herein are methods, compositions, kits, and agents useful for inducing β cell maturation, and isolated populations of SC-β cells for use in various applications, such as cell therapy.

The present document describes uses and methods of using a gem-difluorinated C-glycopeptide compound of general formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable base, addition salt with an acid, hydrate or solvate of the compound of general formula I for inhibition or prevention of immune rejection of an isolated graft contacted with said compound, prior to transplantation in a subject in need thereof.

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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.

Methods for differentiating pluripotent stem cells to neuroectoderm in dynamic suspension culture using small molecule or protein inhibitors of TGFβ/Activin/Nodal signaling and BMP signaling are provided. Also provided are methot and protocols for differentiating pluripotent stem cells such as human embryonic stem cells first to neuroectoderm, then further to glial progenitor cells, and further to oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), and compositions obtained thereby. The methods of the present disclosure reproducibly produce neuroectoderm progenitor cells by day 7 of the differentiation process, glial progenitor cells by day 21 of the differentiation process and OPCs by day 42 of the differentiation process.

Disclosed herein are methods, compositions, kits, and agents useful for inducing β cell maturation, and isolated populations of SC-β cells for use in various applications, such as cell therapy.

Compositions and methods of producing mammalian cell populations that include a high proportion of pancreatic beta cells are described herein. Such cell populations are useful for treatment of diabetes. Also provided are materials and methods for the direct differentiation of stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells, into functional pancreatic beta cells. The disclosure provides the benefit of direct differentiation, which results in the production of functional pancreatic beta cells efficiently and at low cost.

The current invention relates to a method of differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into a human stem-cell derived population of cardiomyocytes. The method comprises the use of specific combination of steps and compounds to induce and/or promote differentiation. The method also comprises steps directed to further maturation of the cardiomyocytes obtained with the method of the invention. Also provided are kits for use in a method of differentiation as well as cell populations obtainable with the method disclosed.