Modeling neurodevelopment in a dish with pluripotent stem cells

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can differentiate into all cell types in the body, and their differentiation procedures recapitulate the developmental processes of embryogenesis. Focusing on neurodevelopment, we describe here the application of knowledge gained from embryology to the neural induction of PSCs. Furthermore, PSC‐based neural modeling provides novel insights into neurodevelopmental processes. In particular, human PSC cultures are a powerful tool for the study of human‐specific neurodevelopmental processes and could even enable the elucidation of the mechanisms of human brain evolution. We also discuss challenges and potential future directions in further improving PSC‐based neural modeling.
In this review, we focus on pluripotent stem cell (PSC)‐based models for neural specification in early embryogenesis, patterning of the nervous system, and human‐specific neurodevelopmental process and discuss recent studies, remaining issues, and future strategies.