Elimination of tumorigenic pluripotent stem cells from their differentiated cell therapy products: An important step toward ensuring safe cell therapy

Movahed AY, Bagheri R, Savatier P, Šarić T, Moradi S (2025) Elimination of tumorigenic pluripotent stem cells from their differentiated cell therapy products: An important step toward ensuring safe cell therapy. Stem Cell Reports 102543. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2025.102543 PMID: 40541178

Objective: To review and evaluate current strategies for eliminating tumorigenic pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) from differentiated cell therapy products to improve the safety of PSC-based regenerative therapies.

Summary: Residual undifferentiated PSCs pose a tumorigenic risk in cell therapies. This review outlines genetic, antibody, toxin, and small molecule strategies for selectively removing PSCs, emphasizing the need for efficient, selective methods to ensure safety in regenerative medicine.

Usage: References a previous study that used Fab-ZAP to eliminate pluripotent stem cells by targeting specific surface markers, demonstrating its application as a targeted immunotoxin for PSC depletion.

Related Products: Fab-ZAP mouse (Cat. #IT-48)

See Also:

• Ben-David U et al. Immunologic and chemical targeting of the tight-junction protein Claudin-6 eliminates tumorigenic human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Commun 4:1992, 2013.