Will brain cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells or directly converted from somatic cells (iNs) be useful for schizophrenia research?

The reprogramming of nonneuronal somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells and their derivation to functional brain cells as well as the related methods for direct conversion of somatic cells to neurons have opened up the possibility of conducting research on cellular disease models from living schizophrenia patients. We review the published literature on schizophrenia that has used this rapidly developing technology, highlighting the need for specific aims and reproducibility. The key issues for consideration for future schizophrenia research in this field are discussed and potential investigations using this technology are put forward for critical assessment by the reader.