Figure 1.

Differentiation and application of hiPSC-derived glial cells. Human iPSCs (hiPSCs) reprogrammed from healthy person/patient-derived somatic cells can give rise to glial cells through different differentiation methods, for instance, by directly differentiating hiPSCs into glial cells, or by first inducing hiPSCs into embryoid bodies (EBs), neural progenitor cells (NPCs), or hematopoietic stem cells. hiPSC-derived glial cells offer a platform for studying the physiology of glia, disease mechanisms, and glia/neuron interactions in a culture dish. Accumulating evidence has revealed crucial roles of glial cells in the brain, such as rapid and saltatory conduction, motor skill learning, energy/trophic support, synapse formation, innate immune system function, etc. Meanwhile, hiPSC-derived glial cells can be transplanted into animal models (amytrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injury, Alzhemier's disease, multiple sclerosis, etc.) to evaluate the safety and efficacy for treatment of these diseases.