Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for obtaining chondrocytes by culturing pluripotent or multipotent stem cells with a culture medium comprising Wnt6 or a derivative thereof. The inventive methods have the advantage of specifically leading to chondrogenic lineage and providing chondrocytes without differentiation towards hypertrophic chondrocytes, adipocytes or osteoblasts.

Abstract: The invention concerns a biological material for preparing a pharmaceutical composition for treating a mammal by gene transfer, comprising, either at least a nucleic acid sequence containing a therapeutic gene and in a form enabling in vivo transfer of said gene into the cells of the mammal, or at least one cell of the mammal not naturally producing antibodies, genetically modified in vitro by at least a previous nucleic acid sequence, and in a form enabling its incorporation into the organism of the mammal as well as optionally its previous culture. The invention is characterized by the fact that said nucleic acid sequence contains an antibody gene and elements for expressing in vivo said antibody gene and the secretion in the blood circulation of a mammal of a therapeutically effective amount of this antibody or a fragment of it, by cells of said mammal genetically modified by said nucleic acid sequence and not naturally producing antibodies.