To determine whether hiPSCs exhibit biases in differentiation into other lineages, we evaluated their ability to generate ectodermal, endodermal and mesodermal derivatives by the Score card assay6. Briefly, hiPSC and hESC GFP lines from both genetic backgrounds were differentiated into embryoid bodies (EBs) before scoring for the expression of 77 developmental marker genes by qPCR. Hierarchical clustering of these data showed that all markers were expressed at similar levels in genetically matched cell lines (Fig. 4G). Thus, isogenic hESCs and hiPSCs appear to have equivalent potential to differentiate into cell types of the three germ layers.
