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Review
. 2025 Apr 28:16:1583391.
doi: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1583391. eCollection 2025.

Frontier progress and translational challenges of pluripotent differentiation of stem cells

Zhengbing Su  1 , Hui Dong  1 , Xiang Fang  1 , Wenli Zhang  1 , Hong Duan  1
Affiliations
Review

Frontier progress and translational challenges of pluripotent differentiation of stem cells

Zhengbing Su et al. Front Genet. .

Abstract

Stem cell research has significantly transformed regenerative medicine, with pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) serving as the cornerstone for disease modeling, drug screening, and therapeutic applications. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) exhibit unparalleled self-renewal and tri-lineage differentiation, while induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) bypass ethical constraints through somatic cell reprogramming. Clinical trials highlight the potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in osteoarthritis and graft-versus-host disease, which leverage their immunomodulatory and paracrine effects. Despite advancements, challenges persist: iPSCs face epigenetic instability and tumorigenic risks, and adult stem cells struggle with inefficient differentiation. This paper systematically reviews stem cell source classification, differentiation regulatory mechanisms, cutting-edge technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9, and explores field-specific controversies (e.g., epigenetic stability of iPSCs) and future directions (e.g., integration of organoids and biomaterials). By analyzing current progress and challenges, it provides a multidimensional perspective for stem cell research.

Keywords: disease modeling; pluripotent stem cells; regenerative medicine; stem cell differentiation; stem cell therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Schematic illustration of 3D co-culture-generated cardiac microspheres.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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