Keio University

Minoru Ko

Makoto Ishii

Masaki Ieda

Masatoshi Hirayama

Ahmed Hegab

Masaya Yotsukura

Tomoko Betsuyaku

Hisao Asamura

Tomohiko Akiyama

Mayumi Oda

Yuhki Nakatake

In related-art methods of differentiating pluripotent stem cells into a desired cell type, there has not been established a differentiation induction method using human ES/iPS cells and being highly efficient. Many attempts have been made, including a stepwise differentiation induction method based on the control of culture conditions or the addition of, for example, various cell growth factors/differentiation factors to a culture solution, but the use of complicated culture steps is a big problem. A method of inducing differentiation into a desired cell type within a short period of time and with high efficiency by use of a pluripotent stem cell that actively undergoes cell differentiation, which is obtained by reducing an undifferentiated state of the pluripotent stem cell, has been developed, and thus the present invention has been completed.

Method for promoting differentiation of pluripotent stem cells by reducing undifferentiated state thereof

Provided is a method of differentiating a pluripotent stem cell of mammalian origin into a desired cell type by predicting the direction of cell differentiation to be caused by induction of expression of a transcription factor. A human gene expression correlation matrix using human cells has been newly created, and further, it has been confirmed that human pluripotent stem cells can be differentiated into a desired cell type by introducing, into the human pluripotent stem cells, a transcription factor cocktail selected from the matrix.

Method for differentiating pluripotent stem cells into desired cell type

A reagent for differentiating somatic cells into alveolar epithelial cells includes an NK2 homeobox family gene expression vector, and a Fox family gene expression vector, a method for manufacturing alveolar epithelial cells, the method including forcing a somatic cell to express an NK2 homeobox family gene and a Fox family gene and culturing the somatic cell after forced expression, an alveolar epithelial cell manufactured by the manufacturing method, and a cell medicine including the alveolar epithelial cell.

Reagent for differentiating somatic cells into alveolar epithelial cells, and use of said reagent

In related-art methods of differentiating pluripotent stem cells into a desired cell type, there has not been established a differentiation induction method using human ES/iPS cells and being stable and highly efficient. A method of inducing differentiation into a desired cell type within a short period of time and with high efficiency by attenuating differentiation resistance of a pluripotent stem cell to generate a pluripotent stem cell that actively proceeds to a differentiated cell type has been found, and thus the present invention has been completed.

Method for reducing differentiation resistance of pluripotent stem cells

Provided is a method of producing a lacrimal gland epithelial cell from a pluripotent stem cell, a lacrimal gland epithelial cell produced by the method, and a reagent kit for inducing differentiation from a pluripotent stem cell into a lacrimal gland epithelial cell. A method of producing a lacrimal gland epithelial cell includes the following step A: Step A: a step including increasing expression of Pax6 gene in a pluripotent stem cell or transfecting PAX6 protein thereinto, and increasing expression of Foxc1 gene or Foxp1 gene in the pluripotent stem cell or transfecting FOXC1 protein or FOXP1 protein thereinto.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Minoru Ko