50th iCeMS Seminar: Kouichi Hasegawa, Ph.D.
The application of human pluripotent stem cells in regenerative medicine will require the propagation of large numbers of cells in the absence of animal products (xeno-free conditions). To date, most xeno-free culture systems require human feeder cells and/or highly complicated culture media. Particularly, to meet good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards, replacing such components with small molecules would provide significant advantages. Replacement with small molecules is contingent upon our understanding of the key signaling pathways involved in human pluripotent self- renewal. We performed by comparative microarray analysis of normal human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to diploid hESC sub-lines that had been adapted to grow as single cells. Based on the analysis, we investigated several small molecules involved in the signaling cascades that enhance hESC survival and/or self-renewal. We found that a combination of Wnt ligands and a small molecule that modulates Wnt-mediated transcription could support hESC self-renewal and survival. Based on this discovery, we developed a novel xeno-free, feeder-free simple human pluripotent stem cell culture system consisting of a few defined growth factors: insulin, bFGF and Wnt3a, plus the small molecule Wnt modulator in DMEMIF-12 medium. Our culture conditions do not include complicated supplements, serum, serum replacement or albumin. In addition, we also developed a chemically-defined medium that could induce definitive endodermal cells from hESC efficiently.
| Lecturer | Kouichi Hasegawa, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Research Department of Call and Neurobiology Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California |
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| Title | Control of Self-Renewal and Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells by Small Molecules |
| Date / Time | April 6, 2010 / 16:00-17:00 |
| Venue | 2nd floor Seminar Room (#A207), Main Building iCeMS Complex 1, Kyoto University Directions |
| Flyer |  PDF (112KB) |
| Host | Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University |
| Contact | iCeMS Nakatsuji Lab nakatsuji-g@icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp |