Public University Corporation Yokohama City University

Corning Incorporated

Kuraray Co., Ltd.

Yun-Wen Zheng

Hideki Taniguchi

Motohiro Fukuda

Takanori Takebe

Go Tazaki

Hitoshi Tsuruta

Keisuke Sekine

Masaya Hosoda

Yoko Itchoda

Tomoko Kosaka

Yunzhong Nie

Provided is a method that achieves control of embryoid body size and can induce differentiation in a state where the embryoid body size is controlled, by using a cell culture chamber having a plurality of microchambers formed therein. A culture method for causing differentiation of pluripotent mammalian cells uses a cell culture chamber () having a plurality of microchambers () formed on a culture surface. The cell culture chamber () has a culture surface formed of spaces in which the microchambers () have a space structure with a height of 10 &#x3bc;m to 500 &#x3bc;m and a bottom area of 100 &#x3bc;mto 1 mm. The culture method for causing differentiation of pluripotent mammalian cells includes culturing pluripotent mammalian cells to obtain a cell population at least partially differentiated into endoderm lineage cells, by using the cell culture chambers ().

Method for differentiating pluripotent mammalian stem cells into a population of hepatic cells in a microchamber

The present invention provides (1) a method for producing a non-human animal having a humanized liver, comprising transplanting human hepatic stem cells and/or hepatic progenitor cells and/or immature hepatocytes to a liver-damaged non-human animal to induce the differentiation of the cells into hepatocytes, (2) a non-human animal having a humanized liver, produced by the method, (3) a method for examining the pharmacokinetics and/or hepatotoxicity of a test substance, comprising using the animal, (4) a method for producing human hepatocytes, comprising transplanting human hepatic stem cells and/or hepatic progenitor cells and/or immature hepatocytes to a liver-damaged non-human animal to induce the differentiation of the cells into hepatocytes, and (5) a method for examining the pharmacokinetics and/or hepatotoxicity of a test substance, comprising using human hepatocytes produced by the method.

Method for inducing hepatocellular variation, and production method for chimeric non-human animal having humanized liver

Provided is a cell culture method whereby an in vivo function can be sustained over a long period of time and culture can be conducted using the minimum number of cells required. The cell culture method includes culturing undifferentiated cells in a layered state in a partitioned micro-space and obtains differentiated cells. When screening a pharmaceutical agent, undifferentiated cells capable of differentiating into liver cells, intestinal epithelial cells, nerve cells, myocardial cells and vascular endothelial cells are preferred. Particularly, in the prediction of pharmacokinetics or the like for humans, human cells are preferred.

Cell culture of fetal liver in layered state in a partitioned micro-space

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Yun-Wen Zheng