Similarities Between Cancer Cells and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

According to a new paper published in the Stem Cells and Development journal, researchers at University of California - Davis have found multiple similarities between induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), somatic cells that were induced into stem cells, and oncogenic foci (OF), a form of engineered tumor cells.

The pluripotency of these stem cells made them prime candidates for regenerative medicine, and their use avoided the long-standing debate over the ethics of using embryonic stem cells. iPSCs could potentially be harvested from an adult, induced into any needed cell type, and then used as a therapy without the risk of an immune rejection.

In the study, scientists compared the transcriptomes, the set of all RNA molecules, of iPSC and OF.  They found that both cells shared similar metabolic activity and that both lacked genes that guide cells towards normal differentiation.  Their results indicated that more research be performed before steps were made towards clinical use in patients.

As part of their study, the scientists also were able to alter the genetic makeup of tumor-producing cells to make them very similar to iPSCs.  Their motivation was to find a pathway to make cancer cells behave like normal stem cells.

I thought this article was a real eye opener.  I feel like every time I hear about new stem cell therapies, we only hear about their potential.  We don't hear about how these cells could possibly be harmful, let alone cause cancer.  This article made me realize just how much we don't know about the possible side effects of using stem cells.

Article:
UC DAVIS RESEARCHERS FIND MULTIPLE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN CANCER CELLS AND INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS

For further information:
Stem Cells and Development Journal
Induced pluripotency and oncogenic transformation are related processes