Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are a promising tool in regenerative medicine due to their ability to develop into various cell types. However, one major hurdle in using PSCs for therapies is the risk of tumor formation after transplantation. A research team from the Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan led by Atsushi Intoh and Akira Kurisaki recently made a significant discovery related to this issue. Their study, published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, focused on a membrane protein called EPHA2, which was found to be elevated in PSCs prior to differentiation.
Through experiments with mouse and human stem cell cultures, the researchers found that EPHA2 plays a crucial role in maintaining the potency of PSCs. When the EPHA2 gene was knocked down, the cultured stem cells spontaneously differentiated. This led the team to hypothesize that EPHA2-expressing stem cells, which fail to differentiate, may be responsible for tumorigenesis upon transplantation. To test this, they prepared PSC cultures, induced their differentiation into liver cells, and extracted EPHA2-positive cells from the cultures before transplantation into mice. They found that removing EPHA2 significantly suppressed tumor formation in mice receiving the transplants.
These findings suggest that EPHA2 could be a potential marker for selecting undifferentiated stem cells, reducing the risk of tumorigenesis in stem cell-based therapies. Kurisaki noted that understanding the role of EPHA2 could lead to the development of safer protocols for using PSCs in regenerative treatments. This discovery brings us closer to a future where damaged organs can be restored and degenerative conditions could be overcome using PSCs.
In conclusion, the study by Intoh and Kurisaki sheds light on the importance of EPHA2 in stem cell therapy and its potential to minimize tumorigenesis risks. By identifying EPHA2 as a key player in maintaining stem cell potency, the researchers have provided a valuable method for selecting safe, undifferentiated stem cells for transplantation. Further research on EPHA2 may lead to the development of protocols that make PSCs safer to use, ultimately bringing us closer to realizing the full potential of stem cell-based regenerative therapies.
