STAR Protoc. 2026 Jan 21;7(1):104345. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2025.104345. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Directed differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) holds major promise for the development of disease models, drug screening platforms, and regenerative medicine. Here, we provide a step-by-step highly reproducible protocol for differentiating vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) from hiPSCs, including hiPSC culture, hiPSC differentiation, and vSMC passaging under chemically defined conditions. We also detail molecular and functional analysis procedures for hiPSC-derived contractile vSMCs along with endogenous transcriptional activation modulation ready for any downstream application.
PMID:41575845 | DOI:10.1016/j.xpro.2025.104345