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Culture Adaptation of Pluripotent Stem Cells: Challenges and Opportunities

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Nuclear Reprogramming and Stem Cells

Part of the book series: Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine ((STEMCELL))

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Abstract

Embryonic stem (ES) cells may acquire genetic and epigenetic changes upon prolonged passage in culture, which can confer on them more robust growth characteristics. The genetic changes are often manifest cytogenetically as nonrandom gains of chromosomal regions that are also typically amplified in embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells, the malignant counterpart of ES cells. Although this raises some concerns for the future use of ES or induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in regenerative medicine, or in vitro screening applications, these concerns remain largely hypothetical. It may be that potential problems can be substantially ­mitigated when we understand more about the underlying causes and mechanisms of culture adaptation. At the same time, this phenomenon also provides a tool that can help dissect the mechanisms controlling stem cell behavior, while potentially providing more robust cells for use in some applications.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by grants from the MRC and from the ESTOOLS consortium, a Sixth Framework Integrated Projected of the European Commission.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Science, Centre for Stem Cell Biology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK

    Neil J. Harrison

  2. Sheffield Diagnostic Genetic Services, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK

    Duncan Baker

  3. Department of Biomedical Science, Center for Stem Cell Biology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 2TN, UK

    Peter W. Andrews

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  1. Neil J. Harrison
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  2. Duncan Baker
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  3. Peter W. Andrews
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Correspondence to Peter W. Andrews .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Leeds Institute of Genetics,, Health & Therapeutics, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom

    Justin Ainscough

  2. Inst. Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kawahara-cho 53, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan

    Shinya Yamanaka

  3. Inst. Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kawahara-cho 53, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan

    Takashi Tada

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Harrison, N.J., Baker, D., Andrews, P.W. (2011). Culture Adaptation of Pluripotent Stem Cells: Challenges and Opportunities. In: Ainscough, J., Yamanaka, S., Tada, T. (eds) Nuclear Reprogramming and Stem Cells. Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-225-0_19

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