A method for generating chondrocytes and / or
cartilage, optionally articular like non-hypertrophic
chondrocyte cells and / or
cartilage like tissue and / or hypertrophic
chondrocyte like cells and / or
cartilage like tissue, the method comprising: a. culturing a primitive streak-like
mesoderm population, optionally a CD56+, PDGFR[alpha]+KDR- primitive streak-like
mesoderm population, with a paraxial
mesoderm specifying cocktail comprising: i. a FGF
agonist; ii. a BMP inhibitor; optionally
Noggin, LDN-193189, Dorsomorphin; and iii. optionally one or more of a TGF[beta] inhibitor, optionally SB431524; and a
Wnt inhibitor, optionally DKK1, IWP2, or XAV939; to specify a paraxial mesoderm
population expressing
cell surface CD73, CD105 and / or PDGFR-beta; b. generating a
chondrocyte precursor population comprising: i. culturing the paraxial mesoderm population expressing CD73, CD105 and / or PDGFR-beta at a
high cell density optionally in
serum free or serum containing media; ii. culturing the
high cell density CD73+, CD105+ and / or PDGFR[beta]+ paraxial mesoderm population with a TGF[beta]3
agonist in
serum free media to produce a
high cell density Sox9+, collagen 2+ chondrocyte precursor population; and c. either i. culturing the high
cell density Sox9+, collagen 2+ chondrocyte precursor population with the TGFbeta3
agonist for an extended period of time to produce an articular like non-hypertrophic chondrocyte cells and / or cartilage like tissue; or ii. culturing the high
cell density Sox9+ collagen2+ chondrocyte precursor population with a BMP4 agonist for an extended period of time to produce a hypertrophic chondrocyte like cells and / or cartilage like tissue.