Cell differentiation suppressing agent, method of culturing cells using the same, culture solution, and cultured cell line

A method for culturing a stem cell, wherein the stem cell is cultured in an undifferentiated state by using a stem cell differentiation inhibiting agent which comprises a low molecular weight compound represented by formula (1) or a salt thereof as an active ingredient:

• wherein, R1, R2, R3 and R4 may be the same or different, each representing an electron-withdrawing group, an electron-donating group or a hydrogen atom;
• ring A represents 5- to 8-member ring containing at least 1 hetero atom in the ring;
• X represents an alkylene group of which atomic number of a main chain ranges from 0 to 10;
• the alkylene group having the atomic number of 0 represents a single bond;
• one or more ethylene groups constituting the alkylene group may be replaced by —C═C— group, and/or —N═N— group, and/or —CONH— group, and further the group may have a double bond bonding to the ring A;
• the alkylene group has 1 or more electron-withdrawing groups, electron-donating groups or hydrogen atoms as a substituent;
• G represents an aromatic group which may have an electron-withdrawing group, an electron-donating group or a hydrogen atom;
• the ring A may have 1 or more electron-withdrawing group and/or an electron-donating, group as a substituent other than an —XG group.

A method for culturing an embryonic stem cell, wherein the embryonic stem cell is cultured in the undifferentiated state by using a stem cell differentiation inhibiting agent which comprises a low molecular weight compound represented by formula (1) or a salt thereof as an active ingredient:

• wherein, R1, R2, R3 and R4 may be the same or different, each representing an electron-withdrawing group, an electron-donating group or a hydrogen atom;
• ring A represents 5- to 8-member ring containing at least 1 hetero atom in the ring;
• X represents an alkylene group of which atomic number of a main chain ranges from 0 to 10;
• the alkylene group having the atomic number of 0 represents a single bond;
• one or more ethylene groups constituting the alkylene group may be replaced by —C═C— group, and/or —N═N— group, and/or —CONH— group, and further the group may have a double bond bonding to the ring A;
• the alkylene group has 1 or more electron-withdrawing groups, electron-donating groups or hydrogen atoms as a substituent;
• G represents an aromatic group which may have an electron-withdrawing group, an electron-donating group or a hydrogen atom;
• the ring A may have 1 or more electron-withdrawing group and/or an electron-donating group as a substituent other than an —XG group.

A culture medium comprising a stem cell differentiation inhibiting agent which comprises a low molecular weight compound represented by formula (1) or a salt thereof as an active ingredient:

• wherein, R1, R2, R3 and R4 may be the same or different, each representing an electron-withdrawing group, an electron-donating group or a hydrogen atom;
• ring A represents 5- to 8-member ring containing at least 1 hetero atom in the ring;
• X represents an alkylene group of which atomic number of a main chain ranges from 0 to 10;
• the alkylene group having the atomic number of 0 represents a single bond;
• one or more ethylene groups constituting the alkylene group may be replaced by —C═C— group, and/or —N═N— group, and/or —CONH— group, and further the group may have a double bond bonding to the ring A;
• the alkylene group has 1 or more electron-withdrawing groups, electron-donating groups or hydrogen atoms as a substituent;
• G represents an aromatic group which may have an electron-withdrawing group, an electron-donating group or a hydrogen atom;
• the ring A may have 1 or more electron-withdrawing group and/or an electron-donating group as a substituent other than an —XG group.