An Engineered N-Cadherin Substrate for Differentiation, Survival, and Selection of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Progenitors.

ABSTRACT: For stem cell-based treatment of neurodegenerative diseases a better understanding of key developmental signaling pathways and robust techniques for producing neurons with highest homogeneity are required. In this study, we demonstrate a method using N-cadherin-based biomimetic substrate to promote the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC)- and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) without exogenous neuro-inductive signals. We showed that substrate-dependent activation of N-cadherin reduces Rho/ROCK activation and β-catenin expression, leading to the stimulation of neurite outgrowth and conversion into cells expressing neural/glial markers. Besides, plating dissociated cells on N-cadherin substrate can significantly increase the differenti

SUBMITTER: Haque A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4526632 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature