Direct Conversion of Human Fibroblasts into Neural Progenitors Using Transcription Factors Enriched in Human ESC-Derived Neural Progenitors.

ABSTRACT: Early human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived neural populations consist of various embryonic neural progenitors (ENPs) with broad neural developmental propensity. Here, we sought to directly convert human somatic cells into ENP-like phenotypes using hESC-ENP-enriched neural transcription factors (TFs). We demonstrated that induced ENP could be efficiently converted from human fibroblasts using two TF combinations. The iENPs exhibit cellular and molecular characteristics resembling hESC-ENPs and can give rise to astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and functional neuronal subtypes of the central and peripheral nervous system. Nevertheless, our analyses further revealed that these two iENP populations differ in terms of their proliferation ability and neuronal propensity. Finally, we demonstrated

SUBMITTER: Hou PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5233298 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature