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Updated: Mar 7, 2026

Efficient Derivation of Human Neuronal Progenitors and Neurons from Pluripotent Human Embryonic Stem Cells with Small Molecule Induction
Published on: October 28, 2011
Rapid differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into functional neurons by mRNAs encoding transcription factors
Sravan Kumar Goparaju1, Kazuhisa Kohda2, Keiji Ibata2
1Department of Systems Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
Abstract:
Efficient differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into neurons is paramount for disease modeling, drug screening, and cell transplantation therapy in regenerative medicine. In this manuscript, we report the capability of five transcription factors (TFs) toward this aim: NEUROG1, NEUROG2, NEUROG3, NEUROD1, and NEUROD2. In contrast to previous methods that have shortcomings in their speed and efficiency, a cocktail of these TFs as synthetic mRNAs can differentiate hPSCs into neurons in 7 days, judged by calcium imaging and electrophysiology. They exhibit motor neuron phenotypes based on immunostaining. These results indicate the establishment of a novel method for rapid, efficient, and footprint-free differentiation of functional neurons from hPSCs.
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