A defined roadmap of radial glia and astrocyte differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells
Jovanovic, Singeç, and colleagues present a reproducible differentiation method for generation of radial glia and astrocytes from human pluripotent stem cells. Radial glial cells are molecularly distinct from neural precursors generated with dual SMAD inhibition and can be differentiated into astrocytes, obviating neurogenesis and the gliogenic switch. The robustness of the scalable protocol enabled robotic cell culture, detailed multi-omics characterization, functional experiments, identification of new glial markers, and iPSC-based modeling of Alexander disease.
