Transient inhibition of MEK/ERK and WNT pathways enhances direct differentiation of primed hPSCs into functional trophoblast stem cells

The placenta plays a pivotal role in human pregnancy, yet research into placental development has been hindered by limited access to early-stage embryos and ethical constraints. Here, we developed a simplified and efficient strategy that enables direct, efficient conversion of primed hPSCs into stable, self-renewing hTSCs. Overall design: Transcriptional profiles in primed PSCs (H1-ES), primed PSCs-derived cells induced by different strategies at two timepoints, YP medium-derived hTSCs (TS-YP).