Removing leftover pluripotent stem cells from cell therapy products
Official title: Selectively eliminating residual human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in cell mixtures for cell therapy
Funded at Brandeis University · NIH-11187224 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new peptide-based approach aims to quickly remove leftover lab-grown pluripotent stem cells from cell therapy preparations so patients get safer transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brandeis University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Waltham, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $181,265 |
| NIH project number | 5R21EY036512-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11187224 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who are candidates for or preparing to receive therapies made from iPSC-derived cells, or donors of cells used to make those therapies, would be the most relevant group.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose treatments do not use iPSC-derived cell mixtures or who receive non-cell-based therapies would not directly benefit from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers are developing short peptide precursors that turn into tiny assemblies inside cell nuclei when acted on by an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase, which is high in pluripotent stem cells. Those intranuclear peptide assemblies selectively kill remaining induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in mixed cell products within hours while leaving many differentiated cells unharmed. The team will test whether this selectivity holds across multiple types of iPSC-derived cells, not just blood precursor cells, and will examine how the peptides break down in normal cells. Experiments will refine dosing, timing, and biochemical checks to ensure safety before any patient-facing use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this method could lower the risk of tumor formation after receiving iPSC-based cell transplants by clearing dangerous leftover stem cells before infusion.
How similar studies have gone: Early laboratory results show this peptide strategy can rapidly remove iPSCs from mixed samples without harming iPSC-derived blood precursor cells, but applying it broadly to other cell types is novel and still unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Brandeis University
Waltham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xu, Bing — Brandeis University
- Study coordinator: Xu, Bing
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.