markers, produce slow wave activity in vitro, and properly innervate the colon when transplanted into mice (Chambers et al., 2013). hESC-derived ENRB−/− and RET−/− enteric neural crest cells showed reduced migration in vitro and in vivo. A high-throughput screening (HTS) assay for compounds that rescue these migration deficits identified Pepstatin A. Studer concluded by discussing the technical challenges in studying disorders that require cell types that require significant maturation and aging, some of which are potentially addressable through overexpression of progerin (Miller et al., 2013), as well as methods and assays under-development to address these challenges. For example, he described combining a method to rapidly differentiate cortical neurons with in vivo cell engraftment, in collaboration with Marc Tessier-Lavigne, to yield substantial morphological integration of neurons when imaged by iDISCO, a novel 3D immunohistological processing and imaging technique (Renier et al., 2014); this strategy will allow mapping of the connectivity of human neurons derived from patients with a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders.
