Improving the safety of human pluripotent stem cell therapies using genome-edited orthogonal safeguards

Renata M. Martin, Jonas L. Fowler, M. Kyle Cromer, Benjamin J. Lesch, Ezequiel Ponce, Nobuko Uchida, Toshinobu Nishimura, Matthew H. Porteus () and Kyle M. Loh ()
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Renata M. Martin: Stanford University School of Medicine
Jonas L. Fowler: Stanford University School of Medicine
M. Kyle Cromer: Stanford University School of Medicine
Benjamin J. Lesch: Stanford University School of Medicine
Ezequiel Ponce: Stanford University School of Medicine
Nobuko Uchida: Stanford University School of Medicine
Toshinobu Nishimura: Stanford University School of Medicine
Matthew H. Porteus: Stanford University School of Medicine
Kyle M. Loh: Stanford University School of Medicine

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Despite their rapidly-expanding therapeutic potential, human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived cell therapies continue to have serious safety risks. Transplantation of hPSC-derived cell populations into preclinical models has generated teratomas (tumors arising from undifferentiated hPSCs), unwanted tissues, and other types of adverse events. Mitigating these risks is important to increase the safety of such therapies. Here we use genome editing to engineer a general platform to improve the safety of future hPSC-derived cell transplantation therapies. Specifically, we develop hPSC lines bearing two drug-inducible safeguards, which have distinct functionalities and address separate safety concerns. In vitro administration of one small molecule depletes undifferentiated hPSCs >106-fold, thus preventing teratoma formation in vivo. Administration of a second small molecule kills all hPSC-derived cell-types, thus providing an option to eliminate the entire hPSC-derived cell product in vivo if adverse events arise. These orthogonal safety switches address major safety concerns with pluripotent cell-derived therapies.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16455-7

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