Accelerated high-yield generation of limb-innervating motor neurons from human stem cells

The following protocol enables the generation of divisionally specified motoneurons from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC). The short protocol (21days and induction with mouse Smo agonist and purmorphamine) enables the generation of a cell population enriched with lateral motor column neurons, whereas the long protocol (31 days and induction with SHH) generates a cell population enriched with median motor column neurons. Both of the derived cells exhibit relevant functional properties and project axons when transplanted into a chick spinal cord.