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SPECIAL SECTION ARTICLES REVIEWS

Stem Cells on the Brain: Modeling Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Diseases Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

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Pages 5-29 | Received 15 Oct 2013, Accepted 06 Jan 2014, Published online: 17 Mar 2014
 

Abstract

Seven years have passed since the initial report of the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from adult human somatic cells, and in the intervening time the field of neuroscience has developed numerous disease models using this technology. Here, we review progress in the field and describe both the advantages and potential pitfalls of modeling neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases using this technology. We include tables with information on neural differentiation protocols and studies that developed human iPSC lines to model neurological diseases. We also discuss how one can: investigate effects of genetic mutations with iPSCs, examine cell fate-specific phenotypes, best determine the specificity of a phenotype, and bring in vivo relevance to this in vitro technique.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work is supported by funding from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the National Institute on Aging R21AG042776, the National Institute of Mental Health R21 MH096233 (T.L.Y.-P.), the Sackler Scholar Programme in Psychobiology, NIGMS grant T32GM007753, and NIA grant T32AG000222 (P.S.).

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

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