Modulating development and maturation of human embryonic stem cell-derived midbrain dopaminergic neurons using growth and survival factors

Various brain diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), can occur when the dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain are damaged. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have great potential for developing new therapies because they can self-renew and differentiate into different types of cells. However, effectively using PSCs in this context requires a deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control the differentiation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons (mDAs). Therefore, our goal was to guide the development of mDA neurons from PSCs and study the changes in gene expression profiles associated with the mDA phenotype over time. This research has contributed to our understanding of stem cell-based disease modelling for treating Parkinson's disease, specifically by examining the critical regulatory proteins and hierarchical networks involved in mDA neuron differentiation.