The present invention relates to a method of patterning and chopping 3D organoids prepared from human pluripotent stem cells, culturing the stem cells or progenitor cells, and inducing the differentiation thereof to obtain a large amount of finally differentiated cells. Compared to cells differentiated by a conventional differentiation method, the cells obtained in a large amount exhibit remarkably superior effects in terms of reproducibility, stability, and functionality, and thus are expected to be very useful for cell therapeutic agents or for the screening of therapeutic drugs.

Genetically modified cells that are compatible with multiple subjects, e.g., universal donor cells, and methods of generating said genetic modified cells are provided herein. The universal donor cells comprise at least one genetic modification within or near a gene that encodes one or more MHC-I or MHC-II human leukocyte antigens or a component or a transcriptional regulator of a MHC-I or MHC-II complex, wherein genetic modification comprises an insertion of a polynucleotide encoding a tolerogenic factor and/or survival factor. The universal donor cells may further comprise at least one genetic modification within or near a gene that encodes a survival factor, wherein said genetic modification comprises an insertion of a polynucleotide encoding a second tolerogenic factor and/or a different survival factor.

Cranial placodes are embryonic structures essential for sensory and endocrine organ development. The efficient derivation of cranial placodes from human pluripotent stem cells is disclosed where the timed removal of the BMP inhibitor Noggin, a component of the dual-SMAD inhibition strategy of neural induction, triggers placode induction at the expense of CNS fates. Further fate specification at the pre-placode stage enables the selective generation of placode-derived trigeminal ganglia capable of in vivo engraftment, mature lens fibers and anterior pituitary hormone-producing cells that upon transplantation produce hormones including, but not limited to, human growth hormone and adrenocortiocotropic hormone in vivo. Alternatively, anterior pituitary hormone-producing cells are generated in cell culture systems in vitro.

The present invention relates to methods of generating and expanding hitman embryonic stem cell derived mesenchymal-like stem/stromal cells. These hES-MSCs are characterized at least in part by the low level of expression of IL-6. These cells are useful for the prevention and treatment of T cell related autoimmune disease, especially multiple sclerosis, as well as for delivering agents across the blood-brain barrier and the blood-spinal cord barrier. Also provided is a method of selecting clinical grade hES-MSC and a method of modifying MSC to produced a MSC with specific biomarker profile. The modified MSC are useful for treatment of various diseases.

Described herein are methods and related compositions for inducing differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into hemogenic endothelium with pan-myeloid potential or restricted potential, by forced expression in the hPSCs of a combination of transcription factors as described herein.

A method of qualifying whether a cell population is a suitable therapeutic for treating an eye condition is disclosed. The method comprises analyzing co-expression of premelanosome protein (PMEL17) and at least one polypeptide selected from the group consisting of cellular retinaldehyde binding protein (CRALBP), lecithin retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) and sex determining region Y-box 9 (SOX 9) in the population of cells.

The present invention relates to a method of culturing primitive-like macrophages from stem cells, a kit when used in the method thereof and uses of the primitive like macrophage for in-vitro disease models and for screening compounds for therapy. One embodied culture method comprises contacting and incubating embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells with a serum-free culture media comprising a GSK3 inhibitor to differentiate stem cells into cells of the mesoderm lineage, followed by incubation with a culture media comprising Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) to differentiate the mesoderm into cells of hematopoietic lineage, maturing hematopoietic cells and incubating these cells with a culture media comprising M-CSF to drive differentiation into primitive-like macrophages. Another embodiment comprises incubating the stem cells with serum-free culture media comprising FGF2 and BMP4 to induce differentiation into cells of the mesoderm lineage, followed by incubating the cells with a culture media comprising FGF2, BMP4, Activin A and VEGF to differentiate the cells of the mesoderm lineage into cells of the hematopoietic cell lineage, maturing the cells of the hematopoietic cell lineage and lastly, incubating the matured hematopoietic cells with culture media comprising M-CSF to drive the differentiation of hematopoietic cells into primitive-like macrophages.

The present invention provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. In particular, the present invention provides an improved method for the formation of pancreatic endoderm, pancreatic hormone expressing cells and pancreatic hormone secreting cells. The present invention also provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells without the use of a feeder cell layer.

The present invention relates to methods for differentiating stem cells into ventral midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells, and into mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons, and compositions, kits, and uses thereof.

The present invention provides modified stem cells (SCs) and use of the SCs to treat disease.