Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Differentiation of Enteric Nervous System Lineages from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: May 17, 2024
Human germ cell lineage differentiation from embryonic stem cells
Kehkooi Kee1, Renee A Reijo Pera
1Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Education, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304-5542, USA.
Abstract:
INTRODUCTIONBiological and ethical constraints hinder studies of human germ cell development despite its importance to reproductive health, including fertility and tumorigenesis. Thus, most of what we know of human germ cell development has been extrapolated from studies in model organisms. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) may provide an ideal system for probing the developmental genetics of germ cell formation and differentiation in vitro. The growth factors BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) 4, BMP7, and BMP8b are required for development of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in mice. It has been shown that these BMPs significantly increase germ cell differentiation from hESCs in vitro. This protocol describes a method to induce germ cell differentiation from hESCs by the addition of BMPs to hESC differentiation medium. The protocol can be used to study the basic mechanism of germ cell development in human cells.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation
Embryonic Stem Cells
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
Embryonic Stem Cells
Lineage Commitment
Stem Cell Culture
Cellular Differentiation
A zygote is a...

