New research suggests that neural derivatives of human pluripotent stem cells frequently acquire extra material from chromosome 1q, a chromosomal defect that has been associated with some blood cell cancers and pediatric brain tumors with poor clinical outcomes.
The good news is that the same researchers found that the abnormal neural cells detected were unable to form tumors in mice. The new cautionary data however does suggests the necessity of additional quality controls to ensure that neural derivatives of human pluripotent stem cells are not genomically unstable, a common characteristic of cancer cells. The research was accomplished by Natalie Lefort and colleagues, at the Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases, France.
In commentary concerning the research, Neil Harrison, at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, noted that while the data raise safety issues relevant for the therapeutic use of these cells, the fact that the same chromosome was affected in all cases suggests that it should be possible to design screening strategies to detect and remove these cells.
Adapted from the Institute for Stem Cell therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases announcement.
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