Here, we have designed a protocol that reliably generates a scalable population of OPCs from hPSCs that upon differentiation yields cultures enriched for oligodendrocytes, enabling us to study the maturation and physiological properties of oligodendrocytes. Using a combination of electrophysiological, biochemical, and immunohistochemical approaches, we show species conservation of the defining physiological properties of differentiated oligodendrocytes that are distinct from those of OPCs. OPCs derived from mutant C9ORF72‐carrying ALS patient induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) did not exhibit impairment to maturation or differences in viability despite the presence of key pathological features, including RNA foci, suggesting that maturation defects may not be a primary feature of this mutation.
