Advances in culture and manipulation of human pluripotent stem cells

Recent advances in the understanding of pluripotent stem cell biology and emerging technologies to reprogram somatic cells to a stem cell-like state are helping bring stem cell therapies for a range of human disorders closer to clinical reality. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have become a promising resource for regenerative medicine and research into early development because these cells are able to self-renew indefinitely and are capable of differentiation into specialized cell types of all 3 germ layers and trophoectoderm. Human PSCs include embryonic stem cells (hESCs) derived from the inner cell mass of blastocyst-stage embryos and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) generated via the reprogramming of somatic cells by the overexpression of key transcription factors. The application of hiPSCs and the finding that somatic cells can be directly reprogrammed into different cell types will likely have a significant impact on regenerative medicine. However, a major limitation for successful therapeutic application of hPSCs and their derivatives is the potential xenogeneic contamination and instability of current culture conditions. This review summarizes recent advances in hPSC culture and methods to induce controlled lineage differentiation through regulation of cell-signaling pathways and manipulation of gene expression as well as new trends in direct reprogramming of somatic cells.