Figure 2.

Current approaches for deriving astrocytes from hiPSCs. Krencik et al. produced astroglial progenitors and immature astrocytes differentiated from hiPSCs through a 6-month process in the presence of FGF2 and EGF. Zhou et al. employed a 3-D floating neurosphere system to increase the efficiency and to shorten the time frame of astrocytes differentiation. Hu et al. and Emdad et al. compared the time course, variability and efficiency using hiPSCs vs. hESCs for differentiation into astrocytes. Roybon et al. reported that FGF1 or FGF2 can promote maturation to a quiescence state without triggering inflammation; yet TNF-α and IL-1β have opposite effects and induce a reactive inflammatory state of astrocytes.