Patent ID: 8372643

Claim:
A method of directing differentiation of a human stem cell into a pre-selected cell type, said method comprising culturing the human stem cell on extracellular matrix extracted from differentiated support cells and in a stem cell culture medium comprising from about 20% (v/v) to about 70% (v/v) medium conditioned by the differentiated support cells and free from the differentiated support cells, to promote differentiation of the stem cell into said pre-selected cell type, wherein (i) the human stem cell is a human embryonic stem cell, the pre-selected cell type is a proximal tubule cell, and the differentiated support cells are proximal tubule cells; (ii) the human stem cell is a human embryonic stem cell or a human mesenchymal stem cell, the pre-selected cell type is an insulin-producing cell, and the differentiated support cells are pancreatic insulin-secreting cells; or (iii) the human stem cell is a human mesenchymal stem cell, the pre-selected cell type is an osteoblast, and the differentiated support cells are osteoblasts, and wherein for (ii) the stem cell culture medium comprises 10% serum.