Comparison of Neural Differentiation Potential of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines Using a Quantitative Neural Differentiation Protocol

Neural differentiation of human embryonic (ES) and induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cell lines has been used for research in early human development, drug discovery, and cell replacement therapies. It is critical to establish generic differentiation protocols to compare the neural specification potential of each individually derived pluripotent stem cell line and identify the efficacious lines for research and therapeutic use. Here, we describe a reproducible and quantitative protocol to assess the neural progenitor (NP) generation of human pluripotent stem cell lines. This method includes a robust and well-defined neural inducing platform for Pax6⁺ neural rosette (neuroectodermal cells) generation, propagation, and subsequent differentiation into nestin⁺ NPs. A side-by-side comparison under common culture conditions among three human ES cell lines, TE03, TE06, and BG01V, and one iPS cell line, HD02, showed highly variable efficiency in their differentiation into NPs.