Agency for Science, Technology and Research

Tara Huber

Florent Ginhoux

Hwei-In Shawn Lim

The present invention relates to a method of culturing primitive macrophages from stem cells. Specifically, the method comprises contacting and incubating stem cells with a serum-free culture media comprising a GSK3 inhibitor to differentiate stem cells into cell of the mesoderm lineage, contacting and incubating cells of the mesoderm lineage with a culture media comprising DKK1 to differentiate the cells into the hematopoietic lineage, maturing the cells of the hematopoietic lineage and contacting and incubating these cells with a culture media comprising M-CSF to drive differentiation into primitive-like macrophages. The invention also relates to a primitive-like macrophage, use of the primitive-like macrophage and a kit when used in the method of the invention.

Differentiation of pluripotent cells into microglial cells expressing IBA-1

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.

Growing community of inventors

Singapore, Singapore

Tara Huber