We thank Dr. Carl D. Bortner (NIEHS) for his assistance with the FACS analysis. This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, Z01-ES-101585 to AMJ.

1. Preparation of hESC-qualified Basement Membrane Matrix-coated Plates
<ol>
	<li>Slowly thaw the hESC-qualified basement membrane matrix (see Table of Materials) solution at 4 &#176;C for at least 2&#8211;3 h or overnight to avoid formation of a gel.</li>
	<li>To prepare basement membrane matrix-coated plates, dilute matrix in cold DMEM/F12 to a 2% final concentration. Mix well and coat each well of a 6 well plate with 1 mL of the diluted matrix solution.</li>
	<li>Incubate the basement membrane matrix-coated plates at room temperature (RT) for at least 3 h or at 4 &#176;C overnight. 
	NOTE: Plates with basement membrane matrix can be stored at 4 &#176;C for 1 week before the matrix solution is removed and plates are used.</li>
</ol>
2. Adaptation of Colony type hESCs to Single-cell hESC Culture
<ol>
	<li>To passage the feeder-free cultures of colony type H9 (WA09) hESCs grown on basement membrane matrix, aspirate the medium from the wells (Figure 1A)9.</li>
	<li>Wash 1x with 1 mL of DPBS. Add 1 mL of dispase solution (1 U/mL) per well and incubate at 37 &#176;C for 20 min.</li>
	<li>Remove the dispase, wash the cells 1x gently with 2 mL of DMEM/F12, remove the medium, and add 2 mL of DMEM/F12 to each plate.</li>
	<li>Gently detach colonies by gently pipetting up and down and transfer to a 15 mL tube.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the pellets for 2 min at 370 x g and aspirate the medium.</li>
	<li>To dissociate the cell pellets into single cells, add 2 mL of cell detachment solution (1x concentration, see Table of Materials) and incubate at 37 &#176;C for 10 min.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge cells for 2 min at 370 x g and remove the detachment solution.</li>
	<li>Add fresh mTeSR1 human ESC medium and dissociate the cells into single cells by gentle pipetting up and down.</li>
	<li>To adapt colony type hESCs to a single-cell type culture, plate approximately 1.5&#8211;2.0 x 106 hESCs into each well of the basement membrane matrix-coated 6 well plate in 2 mL of mTeSR1 containing 10 &#956;M ROCK inhibitor for 24 h (Figure 1A).</li>
	<li>After 24 h, replace the hESC medium with fresh mTeSR1 without ROCK inhibitor and allow the hESCs to grow as a single-cell type for 3 days. Change the medium daily.</li>
	<li>On day 4, when cultures reach nearly 100% confluency, dissociate cells in detachment solution, then replate as described in step 2.6. 
	NOTE: The ROCK inhibitor improves cell survival during the initial 24 h of single-cell type hESC culture.</li>
</ol>
3. Embryoid Body Formation and Differentiation into Three Germ Layers (Figure 2)
<ol>
	<li>To form EBs, first resuspend cells in 3 mL of mTeSR1 medium with 10 &#956;M ROCK inhibitor during the first 24 h, then incubate overnight into 60 mm low attachment dishes in a 37 &#176;C incubator to allow aggregation.</li>
	<li>After 24 h, the small EBs are transferred to a 15 mL tube. Let the EBs settle to the bottom of the tube and gently remove the medium with a pipette. Transfer EBs into EB medium (knockout-DMEM supplemented with 20% knockout serum replacement, 1x glutamine supplement [see Table of Materials], 1% NEAA [non-essential amino acids; see Table of Materials], and 0.2% &#946;-mercaptoethanol) and allow them to expand in low attachment dishes for 7 days. The medium can be changed every other day as described above (Figure 2A).</li>
	<li>On day 7, collect the EBs from the dishes and transfer them into a 15 mL tube. Gently remove the medium with a pipette and transfer the EBs to a basement membrane matrix-coated 6 well plate.</li>
	<li>Allow the EBs to attach to the plate and incubate for 12 days in EB medium, during which they will differentiate into the three germ layers (Figure 2B). Change the medium every other day. 
	NOTE: During aggregation of cells, the low attachment dish helps avoid EB attachment.</li>
</ol>
4. Differentiation of Single-cell Type hESCs Into NPCs (Figure 3)
<ol>
	<li>To induce NPC differentiation, dissociate single-cell type hESCs with 1 mL of detachment solution (1x) and incubate for 10 min at 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the cells for 2 min at 370 x g and remove the detachment solution supernatant. Add 1 mL of DMEM/F12 and resuspend cells by gentle pipetting.</li>
	<li>Plate cells on a basement membrane matrix-coated 6 well plate at a density of 2 x 105 cells/well in 2 mL of mTeSR1 containing 10 &#956;M ROCK inhibitor.</li>
	<li>After 24 h, replace the culture medium with neural induction medium (DMEM with 1% B27 minus vitamin A) supplemented with 1 &#956;M dorsomorphin and 5 &#956;M SB431542.</li>
	<li>Change the medium every other day during the first 4 days of neural induction, then every day until reaching confluence at day 7 (Figure 3B). 
	NOTE: (1) Dorsomorphin inhibits the BMP pathway by targeting ALK2,3,6 receptors and also inhibits AMPK; SB431542 is an inhibitor of the TGF&#946;/Activin pathway by targeting ALK5,7. (2) The same protocol was tested with another ESC line (WA01), which yielded similar results as WA0916. (3) We have generally used Matrigel for the basement membrane matrix; however, cells can be cultured on Geltrex and then differentiated into NPCs with very similar results as indicated by the expression of several NPC markers (Figure 4D,E). Handle Geltrex in the same manner as Matrigel (see section 1).</li>
</ol>
5. NPC Expansion and Cryopreservation
<ol>
	<li>After 7 days of neural induction, dissociate cells with 1 mL of detachment solution (1x) and incubate for 10 min at 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the cells for 2 min at 370 x g and remove the detachment solution supernatant. Add 1 mL of NPC expansion medium (see Table of Materials) and resuspend cells by gentle pipetting.</li>
	<li>Plate 1 x 105 cells in 2 mL of NPC expansion medium on basement membrane matrix-coated 6 well plates.</li>
	<li>Passage NPCs multiple times, as necessary, when cultures reach nearly 90% confluency. During the first 3&#8211;4 passages, add 10 &#956;M ROCK inhibitor during the initial 24 h to prevent cell death. After these passages, cells can be passaged and cultured without ROCK inhibitor. Change the medium every other day during the expansion.</li>
	<li>Cryopreserve NPCs when cultures reach confluency.
	<ol>
		<li>For cryopreservation, dissociate cells in 1 mL of detachment solution (1x) for 5 min at 37 &#176;C, then centrifuge suspension for 2 min at 370 x g to remove the detachment solution.</li>
		<li>Add cell freezing solution (see Table of Materials) to dissociated NPCs at 1 x 106 cells/mL and distribute 1 mL aliquots to cryovials.</li>
		<li>Place the cryovials into freezing container and store them overnight in a -80 &#176;C freezer.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Store the cryovials in the liquid nitrogen.</li>
</ol>
6. Preparation of poly-L-ornithine (PLO) and Laminin Coated Plates
<ol>
	<li>To prepare PLO/laminin coated plates, dilute the PLO stock solution into PBS or water to a final concentration of 10 &#956;g/mL. Mix well and coat each well of a 6 well plate with 1 mL of diluted PLO solution.</li>
	<li>Incubate for at least 2 h at 37 &#176;C or overnight at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Wash each well with PBS.</li>
	<li>Dilute laminin stock solution in cold PBS or water at 10 &#956;g/mL. Mix the laminin solution well. Remove the PBS and immediately coat each well with 1 mL of the laminin solution. Keep plates at 4 &#176;C and use within 1 week. Wash with PBS and immediately add culture medium. 
	NOTE: Do not let the PLO/laminin coated plates dry out.</li>
</ol>
7. Differentiation of hESC-derived NPCs Into Dopaminergic Neurons (Figure 6A)
<ol>
	<li>Plate NPCs in PLO/laminin-coated dishes in NPC expansion medium at a density of approximately 50%.</li>
	<li>After 24 h, change the medium to DA1 medium (neurobasal medium containing 2 mM glutamine supplement, 1x NEAA, 1x B27, 200 ng/mL SHH, and 100 ng/mL FGF8) and change the medium every other day.</li>
	<li>Passage cultures when they reach confluency. Dissociate cells with 1 mL of detachment solution (1x) and incubate for 10 min at 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the cells for 2 min at 370 x g and remove the detachment solution supernatant. Add 1 mL of DA1 medium and resuspend the cells by gentle pipetting.</li>
	<li>Plate 1 x 105 cells in 2 mL of DA1 medium on PLO/laminin-coated 6 well plates.</li>
	<li>After 10 days, change to DA2 medium (neurobasal medium containing 2 mM glutamine supplement, 1x NEAA, 1x B27, 200 &#956;M ascorbic acid, 20 ng/mL BDNF, and 20 ng/mL GNDF) and change medium every other day for an additional 20 days (Figure 6A). 
	NOTE: Add fresh ascorbic acid daily to the DA2 medium. Within the first 14 days, the differentiated cells should be passed when they reach 90% confluency, but no longer after that.</li>
</ol>
8. Differentiation of ESC-derived NPCs into Astrocytes
<ol>
	<li>Plate neural progenitor cells on PLO/laminin-coated plates in NPC expansion medium at a density of approximately 50%.</li>
	<li>After 24 h, change the medium to astrocyte medium (DMEM/F12 medium including 1:100 N2, 1:100 B27, 200 ng/mL IGF, 10 ng/mL activin A, 10 ng/mL heregulin &#946;-1, and 8 ng/mL bFGF) and change the medium every other day.</li>
	<li>Passage cultures when they reach confluency. Dissociate cells with 1 mL of detachment solution (1x) and incubate for 10 min at 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the cells for 2 min at 370 x g and remove the detachment solution supernatant. Add 1 mL of astrocyte medium and resuspend the cells by gentle pipetting.</li>
	<li>Plate 1 x 105 cells in 2 mL of astrocyte medium on PLO/laminin-coated 6 well dishes.</li>
	<li>Allow differentiation to continue for a total of 5&#8211;6 weeks (Figure 6B).</li>
</ol>
9. Immunofluorescence Staining
<ol>
	<li>Culture cells in 35 mm &#956;-dishes as described above for each cell type. Aspirate the medium and add 1 mL of 4% PFA solution per dish and incubate for 20 min at RT.</li>
	<li>Wash 2x for 5 min with PBS. 
	NOTE: Once the cells are fixed, the assay plates can be sealed with parafilm and stored at 4 &#176;C. Stain with an antibody within 1 week after fixation.</li>
	<li>Add 300 &#956;L of blocking solution (goat or donkey serum in PBS) per dish and incubate at RT for 30&#8211;60 min.</li>
	<li>Wash the dish 2x with PBS for 5 min.</li>
	<li>Add 300 &#956;L of primary antibody (Table 1) solution (diluted in blocking solution) and incubate at RT for 1.5 h or overnight at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Wash 2x with PBS for 10 min.</li>
	<li>Add 300 &#956;L of fluorescent-conjugated secondary antibody (Table 1) in blocking solution and incubate in the dark for 1 h at RT.</li>
	<li>Wash the cells 2x for 10 min with PBS.</li>
	<li>Add Hoechst staining solution (1 &#956;M final concentration in PBS) to stain nuclei. Incubate the cells in the dark for 5 min at RT.</li>
	<li>Wash cells 1x with PBS for 5 min and then add 500 &#956;L of PBS. Keep dishes in the dark, then observe fluorescence with a confocal microscope (Figure 2B, Figure 5C, Figure 6A, and Figure 7B).</li>
</ol>

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Scalable and efficient methods for the differentiation of hESCs into various lineages and the generation of sufficient numbers of differentiated cells are important criteria for drug screening and stem cell therapy. Various single-cell passing methods have been published, in which cells are cultured in the presence of ROCK inhibitor or other small molecules to improve survival, but the final products of these culture methods are colony type hESCs17,18,...

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have the potential to differentiate into the three primary germ layers, which then differentiate into various multipotent progenitor cell lineages. These lineages subsequently give rise to all cell types in the human body. In vitro hESC culture systems have transformed the ability to study human embryonic development and have served as a valuable tool for obtaining new insights into how these processes are regulated at the biological and molecular levels. Similarly, studies of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated from reprogramming somatic cells isolated from human patients provide novel insights into various diseases. In addition, progenitor and differentiated cells derived from hESCs can be useful for research involving stem cell therapy and drug screening1,2,3,4.
hESCs can be induced to differentiate into neural progenitor cells (NPCs), which are multipotential cells with an extensive self-renewal capacity. Subsequently, these cells can be differentiated into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes5,6. NPCs also offer a cellular system for in vitro studies of neurodevelopmental biology and various neurological diseases. However, current colony type culture methods involving hESCs and their differentiation into NPCs are inefficient and often involve coculture as well as embryoid body (EB) and rosette formation5,7,8,9. These protocols exhibit lower survival rates and spontaneous differentiation and are more time-consuming.
Presented here is an improved and robust culture system that is easily scalable and uses high density single-cell type culture of hESCs10. The inclusion of Roh-kinase (ROCK) inhibitor contributed to significantly enhanced survival efficiency during single cell type culture of hESC10,11,12,13,14. In this culture system, hESCs can be easily maintained and expanded. In addition, the protocol presents an efficient method to generate NPCs from single-cell type culture of hESCs, which allows the production of highly pure NPCs. Inhibition of BMP/TGF&#946;/activin signaling pathways with ALK inhibitors efficiently induce differentiation of single-cell type hESCs into NPCs15,16, which then can be induced to differentiate into functional neural lineages, such as dopaminergic neurons and astrocytes.
In summary, the single-cell type culture protocol using hESCs offers an attractive model to study the differentiation of these cells into various lineages, including NPCs. This protocol is easily scalable and therefore suitable for generating cells for research involving regenerative therapy and drug screening.

<table><tbody><tr><td>35 mm m-dishes</td><td>ibidi</td><td>81156</td><td>Cell culture dish</td></tr><tr><td>6-well plates</td><td>Corning</td><td>3516</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Accutase</td><td>Innovative Cell Technologies</td><td>AT104-500</td><td>Cell detachment solution</td></tr><tr><td>Activin A</td><td>R&amp;amp;D system</td><td>338-AC-050</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ascorbic Acid</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>A4403</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>B27 supplement</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>17504044</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>B27 supplement (-Vit A)</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>12587010</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>BDNF</td><td>Applied Biological Materials</td><td>Z100065</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>bFGF</td><td>Peprotech</td><td>100-18C</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Centrifuge</td><td>DAMON/ICE</td><td>428-6759</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>CO2 incubator</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>4110</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Corning hESC-qulified Matrix (Magrigel)</td><td>Corning</td><td>354277</td><td>Basement membrane matrix (used for most of the protocol here)</td></tr><tr><td>Cryostor CS 10</td><td>Stemcell Technologies</td><td>7930</td><td>Cell freezing solution</td></tr><tr><td>Dispase</td><td>Stemcell Technologies</td><td>7923</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>DMEM</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>10569-010</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>DMEM/F12</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>10565-018</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dorsomorphin</td><td>Tocris</td><td>3093</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>EGF</td><td>Peprotech</td><td>AF-100-16A</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Fetal Bovine Serum</td><td>Fisher Scientific</td><td>SH3007003HI</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>FGF8</td><td>Applied Biological Materials</td><td>Z101705</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>GDNF</td><td>Applied Biological Materials</td><td>Z101057</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Geltrex matrix</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>A1569601</td><td>Basement membrane matrix</td></tr><tr><td>GlutaMax</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>35050061</td><td>Glutamine supplement, 100X</td></tr><tr><td>H9 (WA09) human embryonic stem cell line</td><td>WiCell</td><td>WA09</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Heregulin b-1</td><td>Peprotech</td><td>100-3</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>IGF</td><td>Peprotech</td><td>100-11</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Knockout DMEM</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>10829018</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Knockout Serum Replacement</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>10828028</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Laminin</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>L2020</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>mTeSR1</td><td>Stemcell Technologies</td><td>85850</td><td>hESC culture medium</td></tr><tr><td>N2 supplement</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>17502001</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>NEAA</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>11140050</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Neurobasal</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>21103049</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Poly-L-ornithine</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>P3655</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>ROCK inhibitor</td><td>Tocris</td><td>1254</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>SB431542</td><td>Tocris</td><td>1614</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>SHH</td><td>Applied Biological Materials</td><td>Z200617</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Stemdiff Neural Progenitor medium</td><td>Stemcell Technologies</td><td>5833</td><td>NPC expansion medium</td></tr></tbody></table>

efficient neural differentiation using single-cell culture of human embryonic stem cells

In vitro differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has transformed the ability to study human development on both biological and molecular levels and provided cells for use in regenerative applications. Standard approaches for hESC culture using colony type culture to maintain undifferentiated hESCs and embryoid body (EB) and rosette formation for differentiation into different germ layers are inefficient and time-consuming. Presented here is a single-cell culture method using hESCs instead of a colony-type culture. This method allows maintenance of the characteristic features of undifferentiated hESCs, including expression of hESC markers at levels comparable to colony type hESCs. In addition, the protocol presents an efficient method for neural progenitor cell (NPC) generation from single-cell type hESCs that produces NPCs within 1 week. These cells highly express several NPC marker genes and can differentiate into various neural cell types, including dopaminergic neurons and astrocytes. This single-cell culture system for hESCs will be useful in investigating the molecular mechanisms of these processes, studies of certain diseases, and drug discovery screens.

Presented here is an improved protocol for the maintenance and expansion of single-cell type culture of hESCs and their efficient differentiation into neural progenitor cells, which subsequently differentiates into various downstream neural lineages, including dopaminergic neurons and astrocytes.
Representative phase contrast images show cell morphology at different steps during the adaptation of colony type hESCs to the single-cell type culture (Figure 1A...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Efficient Neural Differentiation using Single-Cell Culture of Human Embryonic Stem Cells at JoVE.com

Efficient Neural Differentiation using Single-Cell Culture of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Presented here is a protocol for the generation of a single-cell culture of human embryonic stem cells and their subsequent differentiation into neural progenitor cells. The protocol is simple, robust, scalable, and suitable for drug screening and regenerative medicine applications.

In vitro differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has transformed the ability to study human development on both biological and molecular ...

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Universidad San Sebastian

Research

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Developmental Biology

9.9K Views.  National Institutes of Health. Presented here is a protocol for the generation of a single-cell culture of human embryonic stem cells and their subsequent differentiation into neural progenitor cells. The protocol is simple, robust, scalable, and suitable for drug screening and regenerative medicine applications.

Video: Efficient Neural Differentiation using Single-Cell Culture of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Differentiation of a Human Neural Stem Cell Line on Three Dimensional Cultures, Analysis of MicroRNA and Putative Target Genes

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes under specific local microenvironments. In here, we present a set of methods used for three dimensional (3D) differentiation and miRNA analysis of a clonal human neural stem cell (hNSC) line, currently in clinical trials for stroke disability (NCT01151124 and NCT02117635, Clinicaltrials.gov). HNSCs were derived from an ethical approved first trimester human fetal cortex and conditionally immortalized using retroviral integration of a single copy of the c-mycERTAMconstruct. We describe how to measure axon process outgrowth of hNSCs differentiated on 3D scaffolds and how to quantify associated changes in miRNA expression using PCR array. Furthermore we exemplify computational analysis with the aim of selecting miRNA putative targets. SOX5 and NR4A3 were identified as suitable miRNA putative target of selected significantly down-regulated miRNAs in differentiated hNSC. MiRNA target validation was performed on SOX5 and NR4A3 3&#8217;UTRs by dual reporter plasmid transfection and dual luciferase assay.

With the intent of characterizing changes in miRNAs on differentiated human neural stem cells (hNSCs) we describe hNSC differentiation on a three dimensional system,the evaluation of changes in microRNA expression by miRNA PCR array, and computational analysis for miRNA target prediction and its validation by dual luciferase assay.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes under specific local ...

Neural Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells in Serum-free Monolayer Culture

The ability to differentiate mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) to neural progenitors allows the study of the mechanisms controlling neural specification as well as the generation of mature neural cell types for further study. In this protocol we describe a method for the differentiation of ESC to neural progenitors using serum-free, monolayer culture. The method is scalable, efficient and results in production of ~70% neural progenitor cells within 4 - 6 days. It can be applied to ESC from various strains grown under a variety of conditions. Neural progenitors can be allowed to differentiate further into functional neurons and glia or analyzed by microscopy, flow cytometry or molecular techniques. The differentiation process is amenable to time-lapse microscopy and can be combined with the use of reporter lines to monitor the neural specification process. We provide detailed instructions on media preparation and cell density optimization to allow the process to be applied to most ESC lines and a variety of cell culture vessels.

This protocol describes in detail the method for generating neural progenitors from embryonic stem cells using a serum-free monolayer method. These progenitors can be used to derive mature neural cell types or to study the process of neural specification and is amenable to multiwell format scaling for compound screening.

The ability to differentiate mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) to neural progenitors allows the study of the mechanisms controlling neural specification as ...

Efficient Derivation of Human Neuronal Progenitors and Neurons from Pluripotent Human Embryonic Stem Cells with Small Molecule Induction

There is a large unfulfilled need for a clinically-suitable human neuronal cell source for repair or regeneration of the damaged central nervous system (CNS) structure and circuitry in today's healthcare industry. Cell-based therapies hold great promise to restore the lost nerve tissue and function for CNS disorders. However, cell therapies based on CNS-derived neural stem cells have encountered supply restriction and difficulty to use in the clinical setting due to their limited expansion ability in culture and failing plasticity after extensive passaging1-3. Despite some beneficial outcomes, the CNS-derived human neural stem cells (hNSCs) appear to exert their therapeutic effects primarily by their non-neuronal progenies through producing trophic and neuroprotective molecules to rescue the endogenous cells1-3. Alternatively, pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) proffer cures for a wide range of neurological disorders by supplying the diversity of human neuronal cell types in the developing CNS for regeneration1,4-7. However, how to channel the wide differentiation potential of pluripotent hESCs efficiently and predictably to a desired phenotype has been a major challenge for both developmental study and clinical translation. Conventional approaches rely on multi-lineage inclination of pluripotent cells through spontaneous germ layer differentiation, resulting in inefficient and uncontrollable lineage-commitment that is often followed by phenotypic heterogeneity and instability, hence, a high risk of tumorigenicity7-10. In addition, undefined foreign/animal biological supplements and/or feeders that have typically been used for the isolation, expansion, and differentiation of hESCs may make direct use of such cell-specialized grafts in patients problematic11-13. To overcome these obstacles, we have resolved the elements of a defined culture system necessary and sufficient for sustaining the epiblast pluripotence of hESCs, serving as a platform for de novo derivation of clinically-suitable hESCs and effectively directing such hESCs uniformly towards clinically-relevant lineages by small molecules14 (please see a schematic in Fig. 1). Retinoic acid (RA) does not induce neuronal differentiation of undifferentiated hESCs maintained on feeders1, 14. And unlike mouse ESCs, treating hESC-differentiated embryoid bodies (EBs) only slightly increases the low yield of neurons1, 14, 15. However, after screening a variety of small molecules and growth factors, we found that such defined conditions rendered retinoic acid (RA) sufficient to induce the specification of neuroectoderm direct from pluripotent hESCs that further progressed to neuroblasts that generated human neuronal progenitors and neurons in the developing CNS with high efficiency (Fig. 2). We defined conditions for induction of neuroblasts direct from pluripotent hESCs without an intervening multi-lineage embryoid body stage, enabling well-controlled efficient derivation of a large supply of human neuronal cells across the spectrum of developmental stages for cell-based therapeutics.

We have established a protocol for induction of neuroblasts direct from pluripotent human embryonic stem cells maintained under defined conditions with small molecules, which enables derivation of a large supply of human neuronal progenitors and neuronal cell types in the developing CNS for neural repair.

There is a large unfulfilled need for a clinically-suitable human neuronal cell source for repair or regeneration of the damaged central nervous system ...

Neuroscience

Differentiation and Characterization of Neural Progenitors and Neurons from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

We describe the step-by-step procedure for culturing and differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells into neuronal lineages, followed by a series of assays to characterize the differentiated cells. The E14 mouse embryonic stem cells were used to form embryoid bodies through the hanging drop method, and then induced to differentiate into neural progenitor cells by retinoic acid, and finally differentiated into neurons. Quantitative&#160;reverse transcription&#160;polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunofluorescence experiments revealed that the neural progenitors and neurons exhibit corresponding markers (nestin for neural progenitors and neurofilament for neurons) at day 8 and 12 post-differentiation, respectively. Flow cytometry experiments on an E14 line expressing a Sox1 promoter-driven GFP reporter showed that about 60% of cells at day 8 are GFP positive, indicating the successful differentiation of neural progenitor cells at this stage. Finally, RNA-seq analysis was used to profile the global transcriptomic changes. These methods are useful for analyzing the involvement of specific genes and pathways in regulating the cell identity transition during neuronal differentiation.

We describe the procedure for the in vitro differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into neuronal cells using the hanging drop method. Furthermore, we perform a comprehensive phenotypic analysis through RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence, RNA-seq, and flow cytometry.

We describe the step-by-step procedure for culturing and differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells into neuronal lineages, followed by a series of assays ...

Enhanced 3D Neural Retina Differentiation from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Generating Neural Retina from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Retinopathy is one of the main causes of blindness worldwide. Investigating its pathogenesis is essential for the early diagnosis and timely treatment of retinopathy. Unfortunately, ethical barriers hinder the collection of evidence from humans. Recently, numerous studies have shown that human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can be differentiated into retinal organoids (ROs) using different induction protocols, which have enormous potential in retinopathy for disease modeling, drug screening, and stem cell-based therapies. This study describes an optimized induction protocol to generate neural retina (NR) that significantly reduces the probability of vesiculation and fusion, increasing the success rate of production until day 60. Based on the ability of PSCs to self-reorganize after dissociation, combined with certain complementary factors, this new method can specifically drive NR differentiation. Furthermore, the approach is uncomplicated, cost-effective, exhibits notable repeatability and efficiency, presents encouraging prospects for personalized models of retinal diseases, and supplies a plentiful cell reservoir for applications such as cell therapy, drug screening, and gene therapy testing.

Author Spotlight: Simple and Efficient Neural Retina Organoid Production for Disease Modeling

The present protocol describes an optimized 3D neural retina induction system that reduces the adhesion and fusion of retinal organoids with high repeatability and efficiency.

Retinopathy is one of the main causes of blindness worldwide. Investigating its pathogenesis is essential for the early diagnosis and timely treatment of ...

Rapid and Efficient Generation of Neurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells in a Multititre Plate Format

Existing protocols for the generation of neurons from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are often tedious in that they are multistep procedures involving the isolation and expansion of neural precursor cells, prior to terminal differentiation. In comparison to these time-consuming approaches, we have recently found that combined inhibition of three signaling pathways, TGF&beta;/SMAD2, BMP/SMAD1, and FGF/ERK, promotes rapid induction of neuroectoderm from hPSCs, followed by immediate differentiation into functional neurons. Here, we have adapted our procedure to a novel multititre plate format, to further enhance its reproducibility and to make it compatible with mid-throughput applications. It comprises four days of neuroectoderm formation in floating spheres (embryoid bodies), followed by a further four days of differentiation into neurons under adherent conditions. Most cells obtained with this protocol appear to be bipolar sensory neurons. Moreover, the procedure is highly efficient, does not require particular expert skills, and is based on a simple chemically defined medium with cost-efficient small molecules. Due to these features, the procedure may serve as a useful platform for further functional investigation as well as for cell-based screening approaches requiring human sensory neurons or neurons of any type.

Protocols for neuronal differentiation of pluripotent human stem cells (hPSCs) are often time-consuming and require substantial cell culture skills. Here, we have adapted a small molecule-based differentiation procedure to a multititre plate format, allowing simple, rapid, and efficient generation of human neurons in a controlled manner.

Existing protocols for the generation of neurons from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are often tedious in that they are  multistep procedures ...

Biology

Neuronal Differentiation from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells In vitro

The neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) is a potential tool for elucidating the key mechanisms involved in neurogenesis and potentially aid in regenerative medicine. Here, we established an efficient and low cost method for neuronal differentiation from mESCs in vitro, using the strategy of combinatorial screening. Under the conditions defined here, the 2-day embryoid body formation + 6-day retinoic acid induction protocol permits fast and efficient differentiation from mESCs into neural precursor cells (NPCs), as seen by the formation of well-stacked and neurite-like A2lox and 129 derivatives that are Nestin positive. The healthy state of embryoid bodies and the timepoint at which retinoic acid (RA) is applied, as well as the RA concentrations, are critical in the process. In the subsequent differentiation from NPCs into neurons, N2B27 medium II (supplemented by Neurobasal medium) could better support the long term maintenance and maturation of neuronal cells. The presented method is highly efficiency, low cost and easy to operate, and can be a powerful tool for neurobiology and developmental biology research.

Here, we established a low cost and easy to operate method that directs fast and efficient differentiation from embryonic stem cells into neurons. This method is suitable for popularization among laboratories and can be a useful tool for neurological research.

The neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) is a potential tool for elucidating the key mechanisms involved in neurogenesis and ...

Embryonic Stem Cell Culture and Differentiation

Culturing embryonic stem (ES) cells requires conditions that maintain these cells in an undifferentiated state to preserve their capacity for self-renewal and pluripotency. Stem cell biologists are continuously optimizing methods to improve the efficiency of ES cell culture, and are simultaneously trying to direct the differentiation of ES cells into specific cell types that could be used in regenerative medicine.
This video describes the basic principles of ES cell culture, and demonstrates a general protocol to grow and passage ES cells. We also take a closer look at the hanging drop method, which is used to differentiate ES cells. Finally, this video will describe a few applications of ES cell culture and differentiation techniques, including a method used to generate functional heart muscle cells in vitro.

Culturing embryonic stem (ES) cells requires conditions that maintain these cells in an undifferentiated state to preserve their capacity for self-renewal ...

Education

JoVE Science Education

Advanced Biology

Differentiation and Maturation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Neural Organoids

Source: Cosset, E., et al. <a href="https://app-jove-com.bdigitaluss.remotexs.co/v/59682">Human neural organoids for studying brain cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.</a> J. Vis. Exp. (2019)
In this video, a stepwise protocol for Human embryonic stem cells into neural organoids is demonstrated. The method involves inducing neuronal rosette formation, followed by controlled maturation and final culturing on a hydrophobic membrane to achieve fully developed neural organoids.

1. Maintenance and culture of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESCs)

	Perform maintenance and expansion of hSECs on feeder-free conditions ...

JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments

Neuropathology

Neurodegenerative Diseases

Differentiating Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Neural Progenitors

Source: Jeon, K. et al., <a href="https://app-jove-com.bdigitaluss.remotexs.co/v/60571">Efficient Neural Differentiation using Single-Cell Culture of Human Embryonic Stem Cells.</a> J. Vis. Exp.&#160;(2020)
This video demonstrates the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells, or hESCs, directly into neural progenitor cells without using feeder cells or any intermediate steps. The selective inhibition of bone morphogenetic protein or BMP and transforming growth factor-beta, or TGF-&#946;, signaling pathways leads to hESCs differentiation into neural progenitor cells, or NPCs.

1. Preparation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC)-qualified Basement Membrane Matrix-coated Plates

	Slowly thaw the hESC-qualified basement membrane ...