Topic: dual SMAD inhibition

We are investigating the developmental origins of alterations in striatal interneurons observed in brain of patients diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome using organoid models cultured from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. Here we provide a first characterization of organoids differentiated using a new protocol aimed to induce ventral forebrain fates in 7 iPSC lines from neurotypical adults. During neural induction with dual SMAD inhibition, patterning was carried out over 5 days using the Wnt-antagonist XAV939 alone in our standard dorsal forebrain protocol, and in combination wi

The transcriptional co-activator Yes-associated protein-1 (YAP) and its paralog WW domain-containing transcription regulator 1 (WWTR1, TAZ) are known to regulate organ size, proliferation, and stem cell signaling in multiple tissue systems. However, their roles in nervous system development and neuronal differentiation have been understudied. Here, we set out to characterize YAP/TAZ expression changes and function in human neurogenesis in a cell lineage-specific and/or developmental stage-specific manner. To this end, YAP and TAZ knockouts were created in human embryonic stem cells using CRISP