title: Generation of Spinal Motor Neurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.
abstract: Human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are characterized by their unique ability to self-renew indefinitely, as well as to differentiate into any cell type of the human body. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) share these salient characteristics with ESCs and can easily be generated from any given individual by reprogramming somatic cell types such as fibroblasts or blood cells. The spinal motor neuron (MN) is a specialized neuronal subtype that synapses with muscle to control movement. Here, we present a method to generate functional, postmitotic, spinal motor neurons through the directed differentiation of ESCs and iPSCs by the use of small molecules. These cells can be utilized to study the development and function of human motor neurons in healthy and disease states.
authors.affiliation: The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology & Clinical Neurological Sciences, Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology & Clinical Neurological Sciences, Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA. evangelos.kiskinis@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kiskinis
mesh_terms: D000870:Anterior Horn Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D058732:Embryoid Bodies / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects
keywords: Differentiation; Dual SMAD inhibition; Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs); Neural progenitor cells; Neurons; Spinal motor neurons; Stem cells