Geron Corporation

Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Cytotherapeutics, Inc.

Viacyte, Inc.

Stemcells California, Inc.

Cythera, Inc.

Jerrod J. Denham

Melissa K. Carpenter

Margaret S. Inokuma

Scott R. Thies

Melissa K Carpenter

Kevin Allen D'Amour

Chunhui Xu

Ramkumar Mandalam

Joseph D Gold

R Scott Thies

Lakshmi Rambhatla

Margaret Inokuma

Choy-Pik Chiu

Saadia Faouzi

Isabelle Nadeau

Kristina Pfendler-Bonham

Namitha Rao

Emmanuel Edward Baetge

Olivia Kelly

Walter D Funk

Anne Bang

Jerrod J Denham

Margaret S Inokuma

Scott R Thies

Olivia G Kelly

Mark Moorman

This invention provides a system for efficiently producing differentiated cells from pluripotent cells, such as human embryonic stem cells. Rather than permitting the cells to form embryoid bodies according to established techniques, differentiation is effected directly in monolayer culture on a suitable solid surface. The cells are either plated directly onto a differentiation-promoting surface, or grown initially on the solid surface in the absence of feeder cells and then exchanged into a medium that assists in the differentiation process. The solid surface and the culture medium can be chosen to direct differentiation down a particular pathway, generating a cell population that is remarkably uniform. The methodology is well adapted to bulk production of committed precursor and terminally differentiated cells for use in drug screening or regenerative medicine.

Neural cell populations from primate pluripotent stem cells

This disclosure provides an improved system for culturing human pluripotent stem cells. Traditionally, pluripotent stem cells are cultured on a layer of feeder cells (such as mouse embryonic fibroblasts) to prevent them from differentiating. In the system described here, the role of feeder cells is replaced by components added to the culture environment that support rapid proliferation without differentiation. Effective features are a suitable support structure for the cells, and an effective medium that can be added fresh to the culture without being preconditioned by another cell type. Culturing human embryonic stem cells in fresh medium according to this invention causes the cells to expand surprisingly rapidly, while retaining the ability to differentiate into cells representing all three embryonic germ layers. This new culture system allows for bulk proliferation of pPS cells for commercial production of important products for use in drug screening and human therapy.

Screening methods for human embryonic stem cells

This invention provides populations of neural progenitor cells, differentiated neurons, glial cells, and astrocytes. The populations are obtained by culturing stem cell populations (such as embryonic stem cells) in a cocktail of growth conditions that initiates differentiation, and establishes the neural progenitor population. The progenitors can be further differentiated in culture into a variety of different neural phenotypes, including dopaminergic neurons. The differentiated cell populations or the neural progenitors can be generated in large quantities for use in drug screening and the treatment of neurological disorders.

Neural progenitor cell populations

This disclosure provides a newly developed strategy and particular options for differentiating pluripotent stem cells into cells of the hepatocyte lineage. Many of the protocols are based on a strategy in which the cells are first differentiated into early germ layer cells, then into hepatocyte precursors, and then into mature cells. The cells obtained have morphological features and phenotypic markers characteristic of human adult hepatocytes. They also show evidence of cytochrome p450 enzyme activity, validating their utility for commercial applications such as drug screening, or use in the manufacture of medicaments and medical devices for clinical therapy.

Protocols for making hepatocytes from embryonic stem cells

Primate pluripotent stem cell expansion without feeder cells and in the presence of FGF and matrigel or Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm tumor cell preparation

Disclosed herein are cell cultures comprising expanded definitive endoderm cells as well as methods for expanding definitive endoderm cells in culture.

Expansion of definitive endoderm cells

Human embryonic stem cells genetically modified to contain a nucleic acid and cultured with fibroblast growth factor

Use of TGF beta superfamily antagonists and neurotrophins to make neurons from embryonic stem cells

Micro-carrier culture system for rapid expansion of human embryonic stem cells

This disclosure provides improved methods for obtaining populations of dopaminergic neurons from pluripotent stem cells. The process involves taking a population of neural precursor cells derived from a line of human embryonic stem cells, and culturing the cells in a medium that contains a neurotrophin, either cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) or a compound that elevates intracellular cAMP levels, and optionally an antioxidant such as ascorbic acid. Cell populations have been obtained that contain a high proportion of cells staining for tyrosine hydroxylase, which is a feature of dopaminergic neurons. The neural progenitors and terminally differentiated neurons of this invention can be generated in large quantities for use in drug screening and the treatment of clinically important neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease.

Use of cyclic AMP and ascorbic acid to produce dopaminergic neurons from embryonic stem cells

Growing community of inventors

Castro Valley, CA, United States of America

Melissa K Carpenter