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Targeting developmental reprogramming: hPSC insights for cancer interception

Xiaohui Xu1, Xiaolei Dong1, Jinyu Li1

  • 1Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.

Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
|June 23, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Cancer arises from disrupted human development, reprogramming cell lineages. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) model early cancer events, revealing therapeutic targets linked to developmental states for early interception.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cancer Research
  • Stem Cell Biology

Background:

  • Cancer is increasingly viewed as a developmental disorder.
  • Traditional models fail to capture early oncogenic reprogramming.
  • Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offer a novel platform for studying early cancer development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review how hPSC-derived models illuminate principles of lineage bias and differentiation arrest in cancer.
  • To explore therapeutic windows associated with specific developmental states.
  • To translate developmental insights into early cancer interception strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing hPSC-derived models to reconstruct oncogenic events.
  • Analyzing lineage bias and differentiation arrest across various malignancies (brain, retinal, myeloid).
  • Investigating hereditary cancer predispositions within developmental contexts.

Main Results:

  • hPSC models reveal key principles of lineage hijacking during development.
  • Evidence of differentiation arrest and lineage bias in various cancer types.
  • Identification of therapeutic vulnerabilities linked to developmental states.

Conclusions:

  • hPSC models provide unique insights into the developmental origins of cancer.
  • Targeting developmental states offers a promising strategy for early cancer interception.
  • This approach bridges developmental biology and cancer pharmacology.
Keywords:
cancer interceptiondevelopmental reprogrammingepigenetic alterationhuman pluripotent stem cellslineage specificationstage-specific pharmacology

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