The successful development and characterization of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provides a powerful tool to study the molecular mechanisms that control cell fate decisions and differentiation toward distinct lineages. Here we focus on the ability of donors derived iPSCs to differentiate toward hematopoietic progenitor cells and on the analysis of their telomere length. The ability to screen telomere length in individual donors is important for defining cellular senescence, which correlates with their differentiation potential toward hematopoietic lineages. We have modified iPSC culture protocol and telomere length analysis to suit for high throughput screening of telomere length in large number of individual donors. This approach can be used to demonstrate the heterogeneity or changes of telomere length and its shortening as an exclusion criterion for selection of suitable donors for future stem cell therapies.

Cellular and Molecular Immunoregulation Group St Anne's University Hospital Brno Brno Czech Republic

References provided by Crossref.org

The Telomerase Complex Directly Controls Hematopoietic Stem Cell Differentiation and Senescence in an Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Model of Telomeropathy