Ayaka Nishiyama

TL;DR: Application of a selective Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, Y-27632, to hES cells markedly diminishes dissociation-induced apoptosis, increases cloning efficiency and facilitates subcloning after gene transfer, and enables SFEB-cultured hES Cells to survive and differentiate into Bf1+ cortical and basal telencephalic progenitors.

TL;DR: Self-organized formation of apico-basally polarized cortical tissues from ESCs using an efficient three-dimensional aggregation culture (SFEBq culture) is demonstrated and spatial and temporal aspects of early corticogenesis are recapitulated and can be manipulated in this ESC culture.

TL;DR: In the absence of caudalizing signals, floating aggregates of ES cells generate naive telencephalic precursors that acquire subregional identities by responding to extracellular patterning signals.

TL;DR: Human-ESC-derived cerebellar progenitors exhibit substantial self-organizing potential for generating a polarized structure reminiscent of the early human cerebellum at the first trimester.

TL;DR: It is revealed that Abr, a unique Rho-GEF family factor containing a functional Rac-GAP domain, is an indispensable upstream regulator of the apoptosis and ROCK/myosin hyperactivation and apoptosis in hESCs.