Abstract: The present invention provides a clinically applicable method of inducing differentiation of embryonic stem cells, particularly a method of inducing differentiation of embryonic stem cells into forebrain neurons. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of inducing differentiation of embryonic stem cells, comprising culturing the embryonic stem cells as a floating aggregate in a serum-free medium, particularly a method of inducing differentiation of the embryonic stem cells into nervous system cells such as forebrain neurons and cerebellar neurons and sensory organ cells; a floating aggregate of embryonic stem cells obtained by culturing the embryonic stem cells as a floating aggregate in a serum-free medium; and cells derived from a floating aggregate of embryonic stem cells, particularly nervous system cells such as forebrain neurons and cerebellar neuron, sensory organ cells such as retinal precursor cells, and the like.

Abstract: Provided is a method of inducing the differentiation of a stem cell into nerve progenitor cells, comprising the step (1) of forming a homogenous aggregate of stem cells in a serum-free medium (1) and the step (2) of suspension-culturing the homogenous aggregate of stem cells in the presence of a basement membrane reference standard.

Abstract: A method for inducing differentiation of an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell and an ectoderm-derived cell, which comprises culturing the embryonic stem cell under non-aggregation conditions; a medium and a medium supernatant used in the method; an agent for inducing differentiation used in the method; a stroma cell or a stroma cell-derived factor having activity of inducing differentiation in the method; an antibody which specifically recognizes the stroma cell; an antigen which recognizes the antibody; a cell induced by the method; a method for evaluating or screening a substance relating to the regulation in a differentiation step from an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell or an ectoderm-derived cell by carrying out the method; and a medicament comprising the stroma cell, the stroma cell-derived cell, the antibody, the antigen or the cell.

Abstract: The present invention enables efficient suspension culture of stem cells in a serum-free medium by comprising a step for quickly forming a homogenous aggregate of stem cells, and provides a method of selectively inducing the differentiation of nerves from a stem cell, a method of forming a cerebral cortical nerve network in vitro, and a method of producing a steric structure of a brain tissue in vitro, as well as a method of producing hypothalamic neuron progenitor cells, comprising culturing pluripotent stem cells as a suspended aggregate in a serum-free medium that substantially does not contain a Nodal signal promoter, a Wnt signal promoter, an FGF signal promoter, a BMP signal promoter, retinoic acid and an insulin, and isolating hypothalamic neuron progenitor cells from the culture.

Abstract: The present invention provides a clinically applicable method of inducing differentiation of the embryonic stem cells. Specifically, the present invention provides a method of culturing embryonic stem cells, which comprises culturing embryonic stem cells in the presence of an amnion-derived factor, a cell culture obtained by the culture method, and a culture agent/culture kit of embryonic stem cells comprising an amnion-derived factor. The present invention also provides a method of screening an amnion-derived factor having an activity useful for culturing embryonic stem cells with the activity as an index, and an amniocyte-derived factor obtained by the screening method. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method of preparing amniocytes useful for culturing embryonic stem cells, amniocytes obtained by the preparation method, and the like.

Abstract: Provided are a method of culturing pluripotent stem cells in the presence of a decidua-derived cell or an extracellular matrix derived from the cell, that enables safe and efficient maintenance culture and derivation of pluripotent stem cells; a culture agent for pluripotent stem cells, that comprises a decidua-derived cell or an extracellular matrix derived from the cell; and other means for developing or performing the method.

Abstract: Stem cells such as embryonic stem cells (ES cells), including human ES cells, are cultured in a medium comprising a ROCK inhibitor, and a stem cell culture medium, optionally serum free, comprises a ROCK inhibitor.

Abstract: An Object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing a nerve cell by inducing differentiation of an embryonic stem cell, a method for inducing differentiation of the embryonic stem cell into a nerve cell, a medium to be used in the production process or differentiation induction method, or a method for improving purity of the nerve cell obtained by inducing differentiation of the embryonic stem cell. The present invention provides a process for producing a nerve cell which is applicable to treatment of neurodegenerative disease or the like easily, selectively or inexpensively by inducing differentiation induction of an embryonic stem cell using vitamin B12 or a salt thereof and heparin, a substance having heparin-like activity or a salt.

Abstract: A method for obtaining a solution having activity to induce differentiation of an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell or ectoderm-derived cell, which comprises culturing a stromal cell in a culture comprising a polyanionic compound and recovering the culture; a solution having activity to induce differentiation of an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell or ectoderm-derived cell, which is obtainable by the method; and an agent for inducing differentiation of an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell or ectoderm-derived cell.

Abstract: The present invention provides a clinically applicable method of inducing differentiation of embryonic stem cells, particularly a method of inducing differentiation of embryonic stem cells into forebrain neurons. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of inducing differentiation of embryonic stem cells, comprising culturing the embryonic stem cells as a floating aggregate in a serum-free medium, particularly a method of inducing differentiation of the embryonic stem cells into nervous system cells such as forebrain neurons and cerebellar neurons and sensory organ cells; a floating aggregate of embryonic stem cells obtained by culturing the embryonic stem cells as a floating aggregate in a serum-free medium; and cells derived from a floating aggregate of embryonic stem cells, particularly nervous system cells such as forebrain neurons and cerebellar neuron, sensory organ cells such as retinal precursor cells, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a clinically applicable method of inducing differentiation of the embryonic stem cells. Specifically, the present invention provides a method of culturing embryonic stem cells, which comprises culturing embryonic stem cells in the presence of an amnion-derived factor, a cell culture obtained by the culture method, and a culture agent/culture kit of embryonic stem cells comprising an amnion-derived factor. The present invention also provides a method of screening an amnion-derived factor having an activity useful for culturing embryonic stem cells with the activity as an index, and an amniocyte-derived factor obtained by the screening method. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method of preparing amniocytes useful for culturing embryonic stem cells, amniocytes obtained by the preparation method, and the like.

Abstract: A method of producing a lens cell is disclosed. The method includes: an ES cell maintenance step of maintaining an ES cell by using a medium containing a fibroblast growth factor FGF-2 at a concentration of 2 ng/ml to 50 ng/ml; and a differentiation inducing step, carried out after the ES cell maintenance step, of inducing differentiation of the ES cell into a lens cell by implanting and culturing the ES cell on a mouse-skull-cell PA6 at a cell density of 2 colonies/cm2 to 6.5 colonies/cm2. In one embodiment, a washing step, carried out between the ES cell maintenance step and the differentiation inducing step, of washing the maintained ES cell once with an ES differentiation medium is included.

Abstract: A method for obtaining a solution having activity to induce differentiation of an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell or ectoderm-derived cell, which comprises culturing a stromal cell in a culture comprising a polyanionic compound and recovering the culture; a solution having activity to induce differentiation of an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell or ectoderm-derived cell, which is obtainable by the method; and an agent for inducing differentiation of an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell or ectoderm-derived cell.

Abstract: A method for inducing differentiation of an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell and an ectoderm-derived cell, which comprises culturing the embryonic stem cell under non-aggregation conditions; a medium and a medium supernatant used in the method; an agent for inducing differentiation used in the method; a stroma cell or a stroma cell-derived factor having activity of inducing differentiation in the method; an antibody which specifically recognizes the stroma cell; an antigen which recognizes the antibody; a cell induced by the method; a method for evaluating or screening a substance relating to the regulation in a differentiation step from an embryonic stem cell into an ectodermal cell or an ectoderm-derived cell by carrying out the method; and a medicament comprising the stroma cell, the stroma cell-derived cell, the antibody, the antigen or the cell.

Abstract: A functional polypeptide designated "chordin" is described that is capable of inducing dorsal (and neural tissue) development in vertebrates, and which appears to be a secreted protein. There are substantial regions of conservation with Xenopus chordin with mouse chordin, and the human gene should also be similar in those regions. A full length Xenopus cDNA for chordin is illustrated by FIGS. 1A-1F, and contains a reading frame encoding a 941 residue, 105 kDa precursor protein.