Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an approach of removing non-endocrine unintended cells coexisting with insulin-secreting cells obtained by the differentiation. The present invention relates to a method for producing an insulin-producing cell population, comprising the step of treating an insulin-producing cell population obtained by the differentiation from pluripotent stem cells with a PLK inhibitor.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for inducing the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into an insulin-positive cell population. The present invention provides a method for producing an insulin-positive cell population, comprising differentiating a pancreatic progenitor cell population or a cell population at a later stage of differentiation in a medium containing a CDK8/19 inhibitor.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel approach capable of conveniently producing a large quantity of substantially uniform size cell aggregates. Provided is a method for producing cell aggregates using a cell culture bag, the cell culture bag having a lower face comprising a plurality of recesses, the method comprising the steps of: (1) adding cells and a medium to the cell culture bag, stirring the contents, and culturing the cells while applying a pressure to the cell culture bag; and (2) recovering the formed cell aggregates after the completion of culture.

Abstract: Provided is a cell suspension culturing apparatus suitable for large-scale culture of cells, the cell culturing apparatus comprising a culture solution aspirator having a double-tube structure comprising an outer tube and an inner tube inserted in a lumen of the outer tube, and a suspension culture vessel, wherein in the culture solution aspirator, the outer tube comprises a filter through which a culture solution is passed, the inner tube comprises a suction port for the culture solution passed through the filter, and an air hole which communicates the lumen of the outer tube with the outside is disposed distally in a direction of insertion of the outer tube into the suspension culture vessel.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for producing a biological tissue-like structure comprising differentiated cells induced from pluripotent stem cells, and the present invention provides a method of forming a biological tissue-like structure together with host-derived blood vessels and connective tissue by transplanting a composition in which cells derived from pluripotent stem cells are disposed to be dispersed in a biocompatible material to induce the differentiation of the cells.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel method for making it possible to efficiently induce/produce endocrine cells from pluripotent stem cells. Insulin-producing cells including cells that are insulin-positive and NKX6.1-positive cells in a ratio of at least 30% and cells that are insulin-positive and NKX6.1-negative in a ratio of more than 15%.

Abstract: Provided is a cell suspension culturing apparatus suitable for large-scale culture of cells, the cell culturing apparatus comprising a culture solution aspirator having a double-tube structure comprising an outer tube and an inner tube inserted in a lumen of the outer tube, and a suspension culture vessel, wherein in the culture solution aspirator, the outer tube comprises a filter through which a culture solution is passed, the inner tube comprises a suction port for the culture solution passed through the filter, and an air hole which communicates the lumen of the outer tube with the outside is disposed distally in a direction of insertion of the outer tube into the suspension culture vessel.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a pseudoislet, which method comprises: seeding 1,500 to 5,000 pluripotent stem cells in a cell culture well to prepare an aggregate of said pluripotent stem cells, said aggregate having a predetermined size; and culturing said aggregate in said cell culture well in a nonadherent state, to allow differentiation into cells including pancreatic islet progenitor cells and/or pancreatic islet cells.