CEPT supplementation advances the survival of hPSCs

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have extensive self-renewal capacity in culture, yet are highly sensitive to their in vitro environment, especially when cells undergo stressful culture manipulations, such as dissociation as single cells during routine passaging or clonal culture. Stressful culture processes such as these often yield poor cell survival. Clinical translation of hPSCs requires well-controlled, safe, and efficient strategies for cell culture expansion and large-scale production, clonal manipulation, cryopreservation, and directed differentiation.

This Research Spotlight reviews a study by Chen et al who found that the synergistic effects of the CEPT cocktail allow for safe and efficient stem cell passaging and clonal expansion from low densities. Control over viability, safety, and cell function are key challenges facing translational stem cell research. There is currently no consensus in the field on the best method for routine passaging of hPSCs, and labs often overcome poor cell survival using a variety of compensation methods. Supplementation with CEPT provides chemical protection as a new approach for more standardized and efficient hPSC culture.

The Spotlight

Keywords: Pluripotent stem cell culture, long-term culture, single-cell dissociation, clonal cell expansion, iPSC reprogramming

Cell type(s): hPSCs, hiPSCs, hESCs

Experiment purpose: A new targeted high-throughput analysis to identify and characterize a synergistic combination of small molecules and culture additives that can be safely used in research and regenerative medicine applications to improve the viability and expansion of hPSCs in culture.

Product highlights: This study highlights a new small molecule cocktail comprised of Chroman 1, Emricasan, and Trans-IRIB. Captivate Bio has launched a CET Cocktail Kit which includes the small molecules in the CEPT Cocktail. This kit enhances stem cells in survival, promotes clonal growth of genetically stable hPSCs, and provides comprehensive cytoprotection.

Reference: Yu Chen, et al. (2021) A Versatile Polypharmacology Platform Promotes Cytoprotection and Viability of Human Pluripotent and Differentiated Cells. Nature Methods. May; 18(5): 528-514

Conclusion

This study found that the synergistic effects of the CEPT cocktail allow for safe and efficient stem cell passaging and clonal expansion from low densities. Control over viability, safety, and cell function are key challenges facing translational stem cell research. There is currently no consensus in the field on the best method for routine passaging of hPSCs, and labs often overcome poor cell survival using a variety of compensation methods. Supplementation with CEPT provides chemical protection as a new approach for more standardized and efficient hPSC culture.

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Image source: Figure 4a of the publication Chen et al. Please see publication for full details.