The limitations of animal models in re-capitulating human development, the heterogeneity of this complex genetic disorder, and the variable response to pharmacological therapies underscore the necessity for modeling SZ in human cells. Neurons and glia derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) offer an opportunity to investigate the complex cellular and molecular interactions involved in SZ. Despite the fairly recent advent of hiPSCs in Takahashi et al. (2007), numerous advances have facilitated improved reprogramming of patient somatic cells into neurons, either directly or via a pluripotent stem cell intermediate. Below I review the available protocols for generating various neuronal cultures, with a focus on the application of each method to modeling cellular dysfunction in SZ. Finally, I address current limitations and future strategies to improve upon this approach.
