Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:06

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

5.2K
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic...
5.2K
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:13

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

27.2K
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different types of cells. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are post-mitotic—that is, they no longer divide. However, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they “de-differentiate” and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are also pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are therefore...
27.2K
CRISPR01:59

CRISPR

57.3K
Genome editing technologies allow scientists to modify an organism’s DNA via the addition, removal, or rearrangement of genetic material at specific genomic locations. These types of techniques could potentially be used to cure genetic disorders such as hemophilia and sickle cell anemia. One popular and widely used DNA-editing research tool that could lead to safe and effective cures for genetic disorders is the CRISPR-Cas9 system. CRISPR-Cas9 stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced...
57.3K
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming01:24

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

2.1K
Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for...
2.1K
Embryonic Stem Cells00:57

Embryonic Stem Cells

4.6K
Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
4.6K
Embryonic Stem Cells00:58

Embryonic Stem Cells

32.0K
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.
32.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Donation After Circulatory Death Islets are Comparable to Standard-of-Care Donation After Brain Death Islets: Analysis of 801 Consecutive Human Islet Isolations.

Transplantation direct·2026
Same author

Enhanced hypoxia resistance distinguishes human pluripotent stem cell-derived islets from primary islets.

American journal of physiology. Cell physiology·2026
Same author

Oral tolerogenic vaccine combined with gastrin restores immune tolerance and beta-cell function in NOD mice with Type 1 diabetes.

Frontiers in immunology·2026
Same author

Loss of Exocytosis Protein DOC2B is an Early Event in Type 1 Diabetes Development.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Proinflammatory circulating extracellular vesicles from type 1 diabetes patients contribute to beta cell cytotoxicity and disease pathogenicity.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Long-term culture of human pancreatic islets reveals reduced metal ion pathways in their gene signature.

Cell transplantation·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 2, 2026

Establishment of Genome-edited Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines: From Targeting to Isolation
09:51

Establishment of Genome-edited Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines: From Targeting to Isolation

Published on: February 2, 2016

14.1K

Using Gene Editing to Establish a Safeguard System for Pluripotent Stem-Cell-Based Therapies.

Youjun Wu1, Tammy Chang1, Yan Long2

  • 1Departments of Translational Research & Cellular Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.

Iscience
|December 11, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) pose a teratoma risk. Researchers engineered hPSCs with a suicide gene (iC9) in the SOX2 locus, enabling targeted elimination of undifferentiated cells before therapy.

Keywords:
Cellular TherapyStem Cells ResearchTechniques in Genetics

More Related Videos

Generation of Defined Genomic Modifications Using CRISPR-CAS9 in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
09:04

Generation of Defined Genomic Modifications Using CRISPR-CAS9 in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: September 25, 2019

8.7K
Genome Editing and Directed Differentiation of hPSCs for Interrogating Lineage Determinants in Human Pancreatic Development
09:37

Genome Editing and Directed Differentiation of hPSCs for Interrogating Lineage Determinants in Human Pancreatic Development

Published on: March 5, 2017

13.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 2, 2026

Establishment of Genome-edited Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines: From Targeting to Isolation
09:51

Establishment of Genome-edited Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines: From Targeting to Isolation

Published on: February 2, 2016

14.1K
Generation of Defined Genomic Modifications Using CRISPR-CAS9 in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
09:04

Generation of Defined Genomic Modifications Using CRISPR-CAS9 in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: September 25, 2019

8.7K
Genome Editing and Directed Differentiation of hPSCs for Interrogating Lineage Determinants in Human Pancreatic Development
09:37

Genome Editing and Directed Differentiation of hPSCs for Interrogating Lineage Determinants in Human Pancreatic Development

Published on: March 5, 2017

13.5K

Area of Science:

  • Stem Cell Biology
  • Gene Editing
  • Cell Therapy Safety

Background:

  • Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are promising for regenerative medicine.
  • A significant hurdle is the risk of teratoma formation from residual undifferentiated cells.
  • Ensuring the safety of hPSC-derived therapies is paramount.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a method for selectively eliminating undifferentiated hPSCs.
  • To enhance the safety of hPSC-based therapeutic applications.
  • To investigate the efficacy of a suicide gene strategy in the SOX2 locus.

Main Methods:

  • CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing was employed to insert the inducible Caspase-9 (iC9) suicide gene.
  • The iC9 gene was inserted into the endogenous SOX2 locus in the H1 human embryonic stem cell (ESC) line.
  • The effect of the iC9 inducer AP1903 on differentiated and undifferentiated cells was assessed.

Main Results:

  • Undifferentiated H1-iC9 cells underwent apoptosis upon treatment with AP1903.
  • Differentiated cell lineages (hematopoietic, neuronal, islet beta-like cells) were unaffected by AP1903.
  • AP1903 effectively removed undifferentiated H1-iC9 cells from mixed cell populations.

Conclusions:

  • Targeted insertion of a suicide gene into the SOX2 locus provides a safety mechanism for hPSC therapies.
  • This strategy allows for the specific eradication of undifferentiated hPSCs without harming differentiated cells.
  • This approach offers a crucial safety layer for clinical translation of stem cell products.