Method for producing adenohypophysis or precursor tissue thereof

A method for producing a human cell aggregate comprising an adenohypophysis and a hypothalamus neuroepithelial tissue, which comprises the steps of:

• (a) culturing an aggregate of human pluripotent stem cells in suspension in a medium containing a bone morphogenetic protein signal transduction pathway activating substance and a substance acting on the Shh signal pathway that enhances signal transduction mediated by Shh to obtain a human cell aggregate comprising a hypothalamus neuroepithelial tissue in the inside thereof and a surface ectoderm on the surface thereof;
• (b) culturing the obtained human cell aggregate comprising the hypothalamus neuroepithelial tissue and the surface ectoderm in suspension in a medium containing a bone morphogenetic protein signal transduction pathway activating substance and a substance acting on the Shh signal pathway that enhances signal transduction mediated by Shh to induce formation of hypophysial placode and/or Rathke's pouch in the surface ectoderm, thereby obtaining a human cell aggregate comprising (i) hypothalamus neuroepithelial tissue and (ii) hypophysial placode and/or Rathke's pouch;
• and
• (c) culturing the human cell aggregate comprising (i) hypothalamus neuroepithelial tissue and (ii) hypophysial placode and/or Rathke's pouch in suspension for 37 to 70 days in a medium comprising a substance acting on the Shh signal pathway that enhances signal transduction mediated by Shh to induce differentiation of hypophysial placode and/or Rathke's pouch into pituitary hormone-producing cells, thereby obtaining a human cell aggregate comprising a hypothalamus neuroepithelial tissue in the inside thereof and an adenohypophysis on the surface thereof.