Chemotherapy Drug Targets Potentially Harmful Stem Cells, Leaves Other Cells Unscathed
A major setback for induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell transplantation, some cells may not differentiate into the desired cell type and could, potentially, produce tumor growth. Timothy Nelson, PhD, and his colleagues at the Mayo Clinic have developed a method to mitigate this risk. In a mouse model, they pre-treated iPS cells with a chemotherapy drug, which targeted the stem cells selectively, leaving healthy cells largely unharmed. The study is published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine.