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Clinical Translational Prospects on Primate Induced Neuroepithelial Stem Cells and Its Challenges
Ai Zongyong, Liu Guoku, Niu Baohua, Zhao Shumei, Li Tianqing*
Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Abstract: Induced neuroepithelial stem cells (iNESCs) are highly proliferative， have strong differentiation potential and are very valuable for scientific research and clinical treatment. iNESCs， which can regenerate functional neurons to repair nervous system in vivo by autograft， hold great promise for developing stem cell therapy in neurological diseases and nerve damage. However， currently primate iNESCs only can be generated by overexpression of exogenous genes， which cause potential safety risks in clinic applications. Therefore， it is important and urgent to explore non-transgenic methods to convert primate somatic cells into iNESCs， such as chemical compounds， three-dimensional microenvironment， external stimuli and etc. Many researchers evaluate the safety and effectiveness of medications and cells by rodent models for a long-term， however， the significant species differences between rodent and human are the primary causes of clinical trial fail for most researches. Nonhuman primates are close living relatives to humans， the safety and function of human iNESCs can fully be tested and evaluated by cell-transplantation into non-human primate disease models. Thus， the research of non-human primates is one of the most effective approaches that promote the clinical therapy of human iNESCs.
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