The telomerase inhibitor AZT enhances differentiation and prevents overgrowth of human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitors.

ABSTRACT: Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-based cell-replacement therapy has emerged as a promising approach for addressing numerous neurological diseases. However, hPSC transplantation has the potential to cause human cell overgrowth and cancer, which represents a major obstacle to implementing hPSC-based therapies. Inhibition of the overgrowth of transplanted cells could help reduce the risk for hPSC transplantation-induced tumorigenesis. In this study, we report that the telomerase inhibitor azidothymidine (3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine; AZT) enhances the differentiation of cortical neurons and significantly suppresses the proliferation of hPSC-derived cortical progenitors. Using human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells in culture, we found that AZT effectively reduces the nu

SUBMITTER: Hu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5995503 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature