Dual-SMAD Inhibition/WNT Activation-Based Methods to Induce Neural Crest and Derivatives from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Methods Mol Biol. 2016:1307:329-43. doi: 10.1007/7651_2013_59.

Abstract

The neural crest (NC) is a transient population of multipotent cells giving rise to the peripheral nervous system, skin pigmentation, heart, and facial mesenchyme. The broad cell fate potential of NC makes it an attractive cell fate to derive from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) for exploring embryonic development, modeling disease, and generating cells for transplantation. Here, we discuss recent publications and methods for efficiently differentiating hPSCs into NC. We also provide methods to direct NC into two different terminal fates: melanocytes and sensory neurons.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Count
  • Cell Culture Techniques / methods*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Lineage
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Humans
  • Melanocytes / cytology
  • Mice
  • Neural Crest / cytology*
  • Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Sensory Receptor Cells / cytology
  • Smad Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Smad Proteins / metabolism
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Smad Proteins
  • Wnt Proteins