Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Astrocyte Functionality Compares Favorably with Primary Rat Astrocytes.

ABSTRACT: Astrocytes are essential for the formation and maintenance of neural networks. However, a major technical challenge for investigating astrocyte function and disease-related pathophysiology has been the limited ability to obtain functional human astrocytes. Despite recent advances in human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) techniques, primary rodent astrocytes remain the gold standard in coculture with human neurons. We demonstrate that a combination of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP4) directs hPSC-derived neural precursor cells to a highly pure population of astroglia in 28 d. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we confirm the astroglial identity of these cells and highlight profound transcriptional adaptations in cocultured hPSC-derived astrocytes and neur

SUBMITTER: Lendemeijer B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11404293 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature