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. 2022 Aug 23;11(8):791-796.
doi: 10.1093/stcltm/szac039.

The Tumorigenic Potential of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Elyad Lezmi  1 , Nissim Benvenisty  1
Affiliations

The Tumorigenic Potential of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Elyad Lezmi et al. Stem Cells Transl Med. .

Abstract

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are currently evaluated for clinical applications due to their proliferation and differentiation capacities, raising the need to both assess and enhance, the safety of hPSC-based treatments. Distinct molecular features contribute to the tumorigenicity of hPSCs, manifested in the formation of teratoma tumors upon transplantation in vivo. Prolonged in vitro culturing of hPSCs can enhance selection for specific genetic aberrations, either at the chromosome or gene level. Some of these aberrations are tightly linked to human tumor pathology and increase the tumorigenic aggressiveness of the abnormal cells. In this perspective, we describe major tumor-associated risk factors entailed in hPSC-based therapy, and present precautionary and safety measures relevant for the development and application of such therapies.

Keywords: aneuploidy; cancer-related mutations; human pluripotent stem cells; teratocarcinoma; teratoma; tumorigenicity.

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Figures

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Graphical abstract
Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Schematic representation of the potential consequences of hPSCs-based therapy. The top panel represents the expansion of culture-adapted cells during in vitro propagation of hPSCs. The left and right panels represent potential consequences of cell therapy using normal and aberrant hPSCs, respectively. The middle panels describe the potential consequence of incomplete differentiation in the cell inoculum designated for treatment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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