In collaboration with Ajinomoto, Ghuware TOYAMA of Keie University developed a method to kill remaining undifferentiated iPS cells after differentiation. Differentiated myocardial cells grow on extracellular lactic acid whereas undifferentiated ES – iPS cells do not. Expansion of a mixture of undifferentiated and differentiated cells on a lactic acid medium thus removes the ES – iPS cells. The procedure can be speeded up to 24 hours when neither glucose nor glutamine is available – another source of ATP for ES – iPS cells. Differentiated myocardial cells can form both glucose and glutamic acid from lactic acid.
Keio University press release, April 1, 2016
Keio University group removes undifferentiated iPS cells from differentiated heart muscle cells by selective culture, reduce cancer risk