Directed Differentiation and Disease Modeling

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-based models hold tremendous potential for studying human development and disease. Directed differentiation and disease modeling are two key methods for using hPSCs in drug discovery, cell therapy validation, and disease research.

  • Directed differentiation of hPSCs refers to the in vitro differentiation of these cells toward a specific cell type through defined cell culture conditions. Directed differentiation is achieved by the addition of specific growth factors or small molecules.
  • Disease modeling is an approach to study diseases using cells that display relevant pathological features. Disease modeling using hPSCs can be achieved by reproduction of a disorder-associated mutation with gene editing, isolation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) from affected blastocysts; or generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from patients’ somatic cells.

Explore the resources below to support your disease modeling studies using hPSCs.

hPSC Survey Report

Learn about the latest insights and trends in hPSC research, such as irreproducibility and quality control, and how to address them in your research.

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Panelists from Nature Research Round Table: Challenges in Ensuring hPSC Quality

Panel: Challenges in Ensuring hPSC Quality

Hear global experts discuss key issues impacting the use of human pluripotent stem cells in this series of webinars provided in partnership with Nature Research.

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Fluorescent microscopy of human pluripotent stem cell colony

Introduction to Pluripotent Stem Cells

Get an overview on in vitro hPSC culture and derivation for research use, as well as insights into the role of hPSCs for clinical applications such as drug development and cell therapy.

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Fluorescent microscopy of dividing human pluripotent stem cells

Quality Control for Pluripotent Stem Cells

Get to know the key quality attributes of hPSC cultures, including techniques for maintaining and assessing genomic integrity, pluripotency, and morphology.

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Immunohistological staining of progenitors of the three embryonic germ layers

Assessing Pluripotency

High-quality hPSCs should maintain the potential to differentiate into progenitors of all three germ lineages. Learn about pluripotency and optimized assays for in vitro validation.

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