Abstract: The present invention provides methods for inducing the differentiation of pluripotent cells. The present inventors succeeded in differentiating hepatocytes from ES cells without EB formation, using simple adherent monoculturing in media comprising several growth factors in culture dishes with two different matrices.
Abstract: A solution temperature control device in a biological cell observing chamber (30) used for the detection of chemotaxis and chemotactic cell separator, comprising a first temperature controller (62) and a second temperature controller (63). The first temperature controller (62) measures the temperature of a solution filled in a pair of wells and a flow passage in the chamber and controls the temperature to a specified temperature, and the second temperature controller (63) measures the temperature of a heating part (64) which heats the chamber (30) from the outside to indirectly heat the solution filled in the pair of wells and the flow passage and controls the temperature to a specified preheat temperature. Since the state and quantity of cells moving from one well to the other through the flow passage while holding the temperature of the solution at a specified temperature can be accurately observed and measured, accuracy for controlling the temperature of the solution can be remarkably increased.
Type:
Application
Filed:
September 13, 2004
Publication date:
June 28, 2007
Applicants:
Hirata Corporation, Effector Cell Institute, Inc.
Abstract: There is provided cell observation apparatus (10) comprising cell observation chamber (30) and optical observation means (70), the cell observation chamber (30) having, disposed thereinside, a pair of wells and a channel through which the wells communicate with each other so that cells of a cell suspension stocked in one of the pair of wells can react with a chemotaxis-factor-containing solution stocked in the other well and can move from the one well to the other well through the channel, the optical observation means (70) capable of optically observing the cells moving through the channel from outside of the cell observation chamber (30), wherein the cell observation chamber (30) with its part exposed from casing (20) is housed in the casing (20) and wherein the optical observation means (70) is housed in the casing (20) so that the optical axis thereof horizontally extends alow in the cell observation chamber (30).
Type:
Application
Filed:
November 19, 2004
Publication date:
March 8, 2007
Applicants:
Hirata Corporation, Effector Cell Institute, Inc.
Abstract: The present invention provides modified methods of producing human hepatocyte-like cells which exhibit phenotypes more similar to those of human hepatocytes. The present invention also provides the human hepatocyte-like cells and uses thereof. The methods of the present invention comprises a prolonged incubation period and addition of dexamethasone to the culture medium. The methods of the inventors produce human hepatocyte-like cells whose morphology is more similar to that of human hepatocytes, compared with the conventional system. The cells produced have both morphological and functional features of primary culture cells from normal human liver, including cytochrome P450 (CYP), multi-drug resistance-associated protein (MRP), and multi-drug protein (MDR).
Type:
Application
Filed:
August 23, 2005
Publication date:
July 13, 2006
Applicants:
Takahiro Ochiya, Effector Cell Institute, Inc.