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Updated: Jun 18, 2025

Initiating Differentiation in Immortalized Multipotent Otic Progenitor Cells
Published on: January 2, 2016
Optogenetically modified human embryonic stem cell-derived otic neurons establish functional synaptic connection with
Yanni Chen1,2,3,4, Wenbo Mu1,2,3,4, Yongkang Wu5
1Institute of Translational Medicine, and Children's Hospital Affiliated and Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Neonatal Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China.
Abstract:
Spiral ganglia neurons (SGNs) impairment can cause deafness. One important therapeutic approach involves utilizing stem cells to restore impaired auditory circuitry. Nevertheless, the inadequate implementation of research methodologies poses a challenge in accurately assessing the functionality of derived cells within the circuit. Here, we describe a novel method for converting human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into otic neurons (ONs) and assess their functional connectivity using an optogenetic approach with cells or an organotypic slice of rat cochlear nucleus (CN) in coculture. Embryonic stem cell-derived otic neurons (eONs) exhibited SGN marker expression and generated functional synaptic connection when cocultured with cochlear nucleus neurons (CNNs). Synapsin 1 and VGLUT expression are found in the cochlear nucleus of brain slices, where eONs projected processes during the coculture of eONs and CN brain slices. Action potential spikes and I of CNNs increased in tandem with light stimulations to eONs. These findings provide further evidence that eONs may be a candidate source to treat SGN-deafness.
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