Patent ID: 8716017
Filing Date: 2014-05-06
Classification: A61K,A61P,C12N,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of directly differentiating human embyronic stem (hES) cells into cells of a neuronal lineage comprising: (i) providing a culture of hES cells in a defined medium comprising bFGF, insulin, ascorbic acid, and activin A, wherein said defined medium is free of serum, free of feeder cells, and free of feeder cell conditioned medium; and (ii) adding retinoic acid to the culture, wherein the hES cells are cultured in the presence of retinoic acid for a period of time sufficient to cause Nurr-1 to translocate to the nucleus and cause the hES cells to directly differentiate into cells of neuronal lineage, wherein said hES cells differentiate into a population of neuronal lineage cells comprising at least 90% neuroectodermal cells that are positive for at least 4 markers selected from the group consisting of Nurr-1, HNK-1, AP2, TrkC, beta-III-tubulin, SSEA-1, microRNA has-miR-10, acetylated histones, Brg-1 and hSNF2H.