Direct Generation of Functional Dopaminergic Neurons from Mouse and Human Fibroblasts Researchers identified a minimal set of three transcription factors—Mash1 (also known as Ascl1), Nurr1 (also known as Nr4a2) and Lmx1a—that are able to generate directly functional dopaminergic neurons from mouse and human fibroblasts without reverting to a progenitor cell stage. [Nature] T-Cell Factor 3 (Tcf3) Deletion Increases Somatic Cell Reprogramming by Inducing Epigenome Modifications Investigators show that the absence of Tcf3, a repressor of β-catenin target genes, strikingly and rapidly enhances the efficiency of neural precursor cell reprogramming. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A] Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Staining and Sorting with the Live-Cell Fluorescence Imaging Probe CDy1 This protocol described detailed procedures for staining embryonic stem cell (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cell in live conditions and for fluorescence-activated cell sorting of ESC using CDy1 (compound of designation yellow 1). [Nat Protoc] Modeling Neuronal Defects Associated with a Lysosomal Disorder Using Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Researchers generated human induced pluripotent stem cells from the skin fibroblasts of children with mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB. [Hum Mol Genet] GABAergic Neurons from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Possess Functional Properties of Striatal Neurons In Vitro, and Develop into Striatal Neurons In Vivo in a Mouse Model of Huntington’s Disease Scientists aimed to develop a suitable protocol to obtain a high percentage of functional GABAergic neurons from mouse embryonic stem cells, and then tested their differentiation potential in vivo. [Stem Cell Rev] Preclinical Derivation and Imaging of Autologously Transplanted Canine Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells In this study, researchers report the first autologous transplantation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in a large animal model through the generation of canine iPSCs from the canine adipose stromal cells and canine fibroblasts of adult Mongrel dogs. [J Biol Chem] Embryonic Stem Cell Bioprinting for Uniform and Controlled Size Embryoid Body Formation In this study, investigators report an approach to form controllable, uniform-sized embryoid bodies by integrating bioprinting technologies with the existing hanging-drop method. [Biomicrofluidics] β-Adrenergic Signals Regulate Cardiac Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Via Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathways Scientists demonstrated that a β-adrenergic receptor agonist significantly enhanced cardiac differentiation as indicated by a higher percentage of beating embryoid bodies and a higher expression level of cardiac markers. [Dev Growth Differ] |