Requirements for Using iPSC-Based Cell Models for Assay Development in Drug Discovery

A prevalent challenge in drug discovery is the translation of findings from preclinical research into clinical success. Currently, more physiological in vitro systems are being developed to overcome some of these challenges. In particular, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have provided the opportunity to generate human cell types that can be utilized for developing more disease-relevant cellular assay models. As the use of these complex models is lengthy and fairly complicated, we lay out our experiences of the cultivation, differentiation, and quality control requirements to successfully utilize pluripotent stem cells in drug discovery.