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An adherent‐cell depletion technique to generate human neural progenitors and neurons
Author(s) -
Leung Alan W.,
Li James Y. H.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of cellular physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.529
H-Index - 174
eISSN - 1097-4652
pISSN - 0021-9541
DOI - 10.1002/jcp.28591
Subject(s) - progenitor cell , neuroepithelial cell , embryonic stem cell , neural stem cell , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , neun , neuroscience , neural cell , progenitor , neurosphere , stem cell , neuron , cell , adult stem cell , immunology , biochemistry , immunohistochemistry , gene
Existing methodologies to produce human neural stem cells and neurons from embryonic stem cells frequently involve multistep processes and the use of complex and expensive media components, cytokines or small molecules. Here, we report a simple technique to generate human neuroepithelial progenitors and neurons by periodic mechanical dissection and adherent‐cell depletion on regular cell‐culture grade plastic surfaces. This neural induction technique does not employ growth factors, small molecules or peptide inhibitors, apart from those present in serum‐free supplements. Suggestive of their central nervous system origin, we found that neural progenitors formed by this technique expressed radial glia markers, and, when differentiated, expressed TUBB3, RBFOX3 (NeuN) and serotonin, but not markers for peripheral neurons. With these data, we postulate that incorporation of periodic mechanical stimuli and plastic surface‐mediated cell selection could improve and streamline existing human neuron production protocols.