C. Spits

De novo cancer mutations frequently associate with recurrent chromosomal abnormalities during long-term human pluripotent stem cell culture

This study tracks genetic changes in human pluripotent stem cells over time, finding that recurrent chromosomal gains drive the accumulation of other mutations.

Gain of 1q confers an MDM4-driven growth advantage to undifferentiated and differentiating hESC while altering their differentiation capacity

This study shows that 1q gain in hESCs increases MDM4 expression, giving a growth advantage during differentiation by reducing DNA damage sensitivity and altering differentiation capacity.

SALL3 mediates the loss of neuroectodermal differentiation potential in human embryonic stem cells with chromosome 18q loss

This study shows that loss of chromosome 18q in human embryonic stem cells impairs neuroectoderm commitment and cardiac progenitor differentiation through SALL3 downregulation.

Gains of 12p13.31 delay WNT-mediated initiation of hPSC differentiation and promote residual pluripotency in a cell cycle dependent manner

This study shows that gains of 12p13.31 in hPSC delay WNT signaling and promote residual pluripotency through NANOG and GDF3, dependent on cell cycle position during differentiation.

Endogenous suppression of WNT signalling in human embryonic stem cells leads to low differentiation propensity towards definitive endoderm

The paper shows that endogenous suppression of WNT signaling in hPSCs reduces differentiation efficiency towards definitive endoderm, and that increasing WNT or inhibiting PI3K/AKT can overcome this block.

Constitutional activation of BMP4 and WNT signalling in hESC results in impaired mesendoderm differentiation

The paper identifies a human embryonic stem cell subline with hyperactivated WNT and BMP4 signaling that impairs mesendoderm differentiation, leading to trophoblast-like cell formation.