Dev Dyn. 2016 Mar 23. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.24405. [Epub ahead of print]

Capturing the ephemeral human pluripotent state.

Ávila-González D¹, García-López G¹, García-Castro IL¹, Flores-Herrera H², Molina-Hernández A¹, Portillo W³, Díaz NF¹.

Abstract

During human development, pluripotency is present only in early stages of development. This ephemeral cell potential can be captured in vitro by obtaining pluripotent stem cells (PSC) with self-renewal properties, the human embryonic stem cells (hESC). However, diverse studies suggest the existence of a plethora of human PSC (hPSC) that can be derived from both embryonic and somatic sources, depending on defined culture conditions, their spatial origin and the genetic engineering used for reprogramming. This review will focus on hPSC, covering the conventional primed hESC, naïve-like hPSC that resemble the ground-state of development, region-selective PSC (rsPSC) and human induced PSC (hiPSC). We will analyze differences and similarities in their differentiation potential as well as in the molecular circuitry of pluripotency. Finally, we describe the need for human feeder cells to derive and maintain hPSC, since they could emulate the interaction of in vivo pluripotent cells with extraembryonic structures that support development. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.