Tumourigenicity of stem cells

EPO offers different routes of stem cell transplantation for testing of the tumourigenic potential.

The tumourigenic potential of pluripotent stem cell preparations is evaluated either in the syngeneic immunocompetent mouse strain S129/SVE mice (murine embryonic stem cells) or immunodeficient NOD/SCID mice model (human embryonic stem cells*). For special purposes different routes of transplantation of stem cell preparations can be performed.

Evaluation: Histological and immunohistochemical evaluation for the formation of different germ layer structures (mesoderm, endoderm, ectoderm) as well as for the evidence of teratoma and teratocarcinoma formation in different organs.

The organ distribution of embryonic stem cells (ESC) can be investigated using fluorescence detection of EYFP labelled R1 mouse ES cells in different mouse organs by FACS analysis and immunohistochemistry (murine ESC) or can be determined by human specific-PCR method (human ESC).

* only with the approval of the responsible authorities

Teratoma formation after subcutaneous application of undifferentiated murine embryonic stem cells in S129/SVE mice. HE staining of the teratoma. The teratoma consists of differentiated tissue from all three germ layers.

Tumourigenicity of stem cells - Teratoma formation