CPC C12N 5/0621 (2013.01) [A61K 35/30 (2013.01); C12N 2500/02 (2013.01); C12N 2500/38 (2013.01); C12N 2501/115 (2013.01); C12N 2501/15 (2013.01); C12N 2501/16 (2013.01); C12N 2506/02 (2013.01); C12N 2533/52 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |
1. A method of generating retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, comprising:
(a) culturing human pluripotent stem cells for about 1 week to about 3 weeks in a medium comprising nicotinamide so as to generate differentiating cells, wherein said medium is devoid of Activin A;
(b) further culturing said differentiating cells for about 1 week to about 4 weeks in a medium comprising Activin A and nicotinamide to generate cells which are further differentiated towards an RPE lineage;
(c) further culturing said cells which are further differentiated towards the RPE lineage for up to 4 weeks in a medium comprising nicotinamide so as to generate RPE cells, wherein said medium is devoid of Activin A,
wherein steps (a)-(c) are effected under conditions wherein the atmospheric oxygen level is less than about 10%, wherein at least 80% of the RPE cells co-express premelanosome protein (PM EL17) and cellular retinaldehyde binding protein (CRALBP) after step (c); and (d)
expanding said RPE cells.
|