Best Practices for Translational Disease Modeling Using Human iPSC-Derived Neurons

Neuron. 2018 Nov 21;100(4):783-797. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.10.033.

Abstract

From the beginning, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology was touted as a path to improve our understanding of disease biology and enable drug discovery. Advances in iPSC culture, genome engineering, and differentiation protocols have rapidly expanded the use of iPSC-derived disease models from the specialized work of stem cell biology into the mainstream toolkit of cellular neuroscience. Here we provide guidance for using iPSC-derived neurons for disease modeling with a focus on enabling screening platforms amenable to therapeutic drug discovery. We also highlight the potential for incorporating three-dimensional systems that may create more translational in vitro models.

Keywords: assay development; disease modeling; iPSC; neurons; screening.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Drug Discovery / methods*
  • Drug Discovery / trends
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / drug effects
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / physiology*
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / drug therapy
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / genetics
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / pathology*
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Translational Research, Biomedical / methods*
  • Translational Research, Biomedical / trends