Method for inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into hepatocytes

Abstract

The present invention provides, in order to prepare matured hepatocytes analogous in various points to primary hepatocytes, a method for preparing hepatocytes or cells that can be differentiated into hepatocytes from pluripotent stem cells, comprising the steps of: (1) culturing the pluripotent stem cells in a medium containing an activator of an activin receptor-like kinase-4,7; (2) culturing the cells obtained in the step (1) in a medium containing a bone morphogenetic factor and a fibroblast growth factor; (3) culturing the cells obtained in the step (2) in a medium containing an activator of a hepatocyte growth factor receptor and an activator of an oncostatin M receptor; and (4) culturing the cells obtained in the step (3) to obtain hepatocytes or cells that can be differentiated into hepatocytes, wherein in at least one of the steps (2), (3) and (4), cells are cultured on a high-density collagen gel membrane.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.