Generation of pancreatic endoderm from pluripotent stem cells using small molecules

Abstract

A method of producing pancreatic cells or pancreatic cell precursors expressing at least 5% PDX1/NKX6.1 double positive, comprising exposing definitive endoderm cells to an effective amount of one or more small molecules, to differentiate the human definitive endoderm cells into the pancreatic cells or pancreatic cell precursors. The present invention also relates to pancreatic endoderm cells produced by said methods and uses of said pancreatic endoderm cells.

1 . A cell culture medium comprising definitive endoderm cells, a BMP inhibitor, JNK inhibitor II, bFGF, and a retinoic acid receptor agonist. 
     
     
         2 . The cell culture medium of  claim 1 , wherein the BMP inhibitor is 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         3 . The cell culture medium of  claim 1 , wherein the retinoic acid receptor agonist is 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         4 . The cell culture medium of  claim 1 , wherein the BMP inhibitor is 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         and the retinoic acid receptor agonist is