Visualization of migration of human cortical neurons generated from induced pluripotent stem cells
Yohei Bamba1, Yonehiro Kanemura2, Hideyuki Okano3
1Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Division of Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Clinical Research, Osaka National Hospital, National Hospital Organization, 2-1-14 Hoenzaka, Chuo-ku, Osaka 540-0006, Japan.
Background:
Neuronal migration is considered a key process in human brain development. However, direct observation of migrating human cortical neurons in the fetal brain is accompanied by ethical concerns and is a major obstacle in investigating human cortical neuronal migration.
New Method:
We established a novel system that enables direct visualization of migrating cortical neurons generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs).
Results:
We observed the migration of cortical neurons generated from hiPSCs derived from a control and from a patient with lissencephaly.
Methods:
Our system needs no viable brain tissue, which is usually used in slice culture. Migratory behavior of human cortical neuron can be observed more easily and more vividly by its fluorescence and glial scaffold than that by earlier methods.
Conclusions:
Our in vitro experimental system provides a new platform for investigating development of the human central nervous system and brain malformation.
