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Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Teratoma Generation in the Testis Capsule
Published on: November 7, 2011
Teratoma formation: a tool for monitoring pluripotency in stem cell research
Raman V Nelakanti1,2,3, Nigel G Kooreman1,2,3,4, Joseph C Wu1,2,3
1Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
Abstract:
This unit describes protocols for evaluating the pluripotency of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells using a teratoma formation assay. Cells are prepared for injection and transplanted into immunodeficient mice at the gastrocnemius muscle, a site well suited for teratoma growth and surgical access. Teratomas that form from the cell transplants are explanted, fixed in paraformaldehyde, and embedded in paraffin. These preserved samples are sectioned, stained, and analyzed. Pluripotency of a cell line is confirmed by whether the teratoma contains tissues derived from each of the embryonic germ layers: endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. Alternatively, explanted and fixed teratomas can be cryopreserved for immunohistochemistry, which allows for more detailed identification of specific tissue types present in the samples.
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