University of California

Pillargo, Inc.

Jiagang Zhao

Kang Zhang

Adah Almutairi

Ying Jie Wu

Natalie Afshari

Compositions and methods for producing major ocular cell types, including retinal ganglion cells, photoreceptors, retinal pigmented epithelium and corneal endothelial cells, from human pluripotent stem cells under defined culture conditions are provided.

Induction of corneal endothelial cells

Disclosed herein are synthetic nucleic acids comprising a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a codon-Adapted Nuclear Argonaute protein (ANAGO) that is a species-specific to a eukaryote, and compositions comprising ANAGO and donor molecules for use in homologous recombination directed targeted gene editing in the eukaryote.

Homologous recombination directed genome editing in eukaryotes

The invention provides an in vitro method for producing isolated mammalian primitive retinal stem cells (pRSCs) comprising: (a) culturing isolated embryonic stem cells (ESCs) from a mammal in a cell culture medium that is free of feeder cells, feeder-conditioned medium or serum so as to produce and grow a culture of the isolated ESCs; and (b) contacting the culture of the isolated ESCs so grown with one or more of an inhibitor for Wnt or TGF-&#x3b2;/BMP signaling so as to differentiate the isolated ESCs of (a) into primitive retinal stem cells thereby producing isolated mammalian pRSCs.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Jiagang Zhao