iPSC Generation and Validation: Ensuring the best materials for downstream applications iPSC Generation and Validation: Ensuring the best materials for downstream applications

The reprogramming of somatic cells into induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC) has great potential of applications, not only in basic research, but also in drug screening and cell therapy. With advances in reprogramming technologies, use of diverse media systems and somatic cell sources, there is a compelling need for comprehensive characterizations methods that facilitate the generation of high quality standardized iPSC cell banks

The combined approach described in this presentation utilizes cellular and molecular techniques for qualifying the putative iPSC clones from the master somatic cell reprogramming population and through the subsequent maturation process. The resulting iPSC clones are further vetted for functional pluripotency, via expression of markers of self renewal and the pottential to differentiate into the 3 germ layers.  The resulting validated cell banks can help ensure  high quality of the cells prior to use in downstream applications such as gene editing and directed differentiation to specific lineages. A streamlined method of iPSC qualification and banking is critical for traceability to ensure the identity and quality of cells chosen for drug screening and cell therapy applications.