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Stem cells

Subclone wars

Nature volume 545, pages 160–161 (2017)Cite this article

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Pluripotent stem cells, which give rise to every cell type, can acquire cancer-causing genetic mutations when grown in vitro. This finding has implications for the use of pluripotent cells in basic research and in the clinic. See Letter p.229

The production and culture of pluripotent stem cells, which can give rise to every cell type in the body, have great potential for drug screening, basic research and regenerative therapies. Genetic mutations are known1 to arise when pluripotent cells are propagated in vitro, but the nature and extent of these mutational events have been unclear. On page 229, Merkle et al.2 provide evidence that human pluripotent stem cells are prone to develop mutations in a gene that drives cancer development, TP53.

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Figure 1: The changing profile of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892, Maryland, USA

    Stephen Chanock

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  1. Stephen Chanock
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Correspondence to Stephen Chanock.

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Stem cells: The promises and perils of p53

Stem cells: The dark side of induced pluripotency

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Chanock, S. Subclone wars. Nature 545, 160–161 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22490

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