Oligonucleotide drugs are experiencing greater success in the clinic, encouraging the initiation of new projects. Resources are insufficient to develop every potentially important project and persuasive experimental data using cell lines close to disease target tissue is needed to prioritize candidates. This group has previously shown that synthetic nucleic acids can activate FXN expression in human patient-derived cells. They further tested these compounds in patient derived cells formed into cells that develop into neurons (iPSC-NPCs). Here we describe methods to deliver oligonucleotides and duplex RNAs into iPSC-NPC's cells using electroporation. Activation of FXN expression is potent, easily reproducible, and potencies parallel those determined using previous cell types. Oligonucleotides with various chemical modifications were active, providing multiple starting points for further development and highlighting improved potency as an important goal for preclinical development. This data support the conclusion that ASO-mediated activation of FXN is a feasible approach for treating FA and that electroporation is a robust method for introducing ASOs to modulate gene expressions in neuronal cells.

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