Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 28, 2026
RNA-based Reprogramming of Human Primary Fibroblasts into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: November 26, 2018
[Histological features of tumor-bearing tissues formed by human fibroblasts after reprograming by Piwil2]
Guangping Zeng1, Xin Wu, Dawei He2
1Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China.
Objective:
To observe the histological features of tumor-bearing tissues formed by human fibroblasts after reprograming by spermatogonial stem cell self-renewal key regulating gene Piwil2 (Piwil2-iCSC).
Methods:
Piwil2-iCSC tumor spheroids-like colonies were selected for tumor formation assay in four nude mice. Pathological features of Piwil2-iCSC tumors were observed by histology. Stem cell markers and common triploblastic markers were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay and immunohistochemistry. Germ cell tumor markers were detected by immunohistochemical examination.
Results:
Two weeks after inoculation, subcutaneous tumors were formed in all the four nude mice with a tumor formation rate of 100%. In the Piwil2-iCSC tumor tissues, Piwil2-GFP(+) cells showed high-density nuclear expression and were widely observed in DAPI-stained sections. Numerous mitotic figure of the neoplastic cells were seen (>10 cells/field of vision under high magnification) in HE-stained sections. Enlarged abnormal cell nuclei were observed. RT-PCR assay showed that Piwil2-iCSC tumors still expressed Piwil2 and some self-renewal and pluripotent markers of stem cells and some markers of triploblastic differentiation. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the tumors expressed stem cell markers, triploblastic markers and germ cell tumor markers AFP and HCG.
Conclusions:
Piwil2-iCSC tumors are probably undifferentiated embryonic small cell carcinoma, most likely to be immature teratoma, mixed with yolk sac tumor and choriocarcinoma components. It can be used as a useful model for the research of origin or genesis mechanism of cancer stem cells and the treatment of relevant tumors.
More Related Videos
10:52Isolation of Adult Human Dermal Fibroblasts from Abdominal Skin and Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using a Non-Integrating Method
Published on: January 19, 2020
10:04Tractable In Vivo Reprogramming of Tumor Cells to Type 1 Conventional Dendritic Cell-like Cells
Published on: August 1, 2025
