Differentiation Potential of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) to Nucleus Pulposus-Like Cells In Vitro

IntroductionAutologous or allogeneic cell delivery to the herniated or degenerated intervertebral disk may promote tissue regeneration and arrest degeneration1–4. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from the patient's somatic cells represent an attractive cell source, having the potential to differentiate into various cell types5. To date, no studies have demonstrated that human iPSCs can differentiate into nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. We have previously shown that both human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells and mouse iPSCs were able to display many NP-like cell markers after cultured in a laminin-rich 3D culture system for inducing differentiation6,7. The goal of this study is to evaluate whether human iPSCs cultured in this similar laminin-rich environment can also express a unique NP-like cell phenotype.Materials and MethodsCell Generation and Characterization iPSCs were generated from human embryonic dermal fibroblasts through transient inducible over-expression of transcription fac...