Manipulation of Pluripotent Stem Cell Metabolism for Clinical Application

Purpose of review: Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have the capacity to differentiate into various types of cells, and are promising cell sources for regenerative therapy and drug screening. However, to realize the clinical application of PSCs, a large number of highly qualified target cells must be stably prepared with low cost. To achieve this, great improvements in the reprogramming, differentiation, and elimination of residual PSCs will be necessary. In this review, we summarize the updated knowledge about metabolism in PSCs and its application. Recent findings: Recent studies have shown that PSCs have distinct metabolic profiles compared to differentiated cells. The metabolic profiles of PSCs are indispensable for the maintenance of pluripotency, self-renewal, differentiation capacity, and cell survival. Summary: Metabolic approaches show improved simplicity, scalability, and lower cost than conventional methods for differentiation and elimination of residual PSCs. Thus, manipulation of PSC metabolism will lead to new technologies to improve their efficiencies.