Regenerative medicine holds great potential as a (curative) treatment for numerous human diseases. This research field relies on the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells with subsequent (autologous) transplantation. However, a critical safety concern is the risk of malignant transformation of remaining undifferentiated cells and their derivatives which may lead to tumor formation.
In this context, malignant germ cell tumors such as teratomas and embryonal carcinomas (which are typically diagnosed in pediatric and/or young adults) offer valuable insights. These tumors originate from the deregulation of pluripotent cells during early embryonic development, making them a relevant model for studying the risks associated with pluripotent stem cell therapies. Therefore, my PhD project leverages the knowledge gained from germ cell tumor research to identify (epi)genetic and molecular markers of aberrant pluripotent stem cells (and their derivatives) and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. This research may contribute to developing safety measures for the clinical application of pluripotent stem cell-derived therapies. Additionally, several microRNAs essential for pluripotent stem cells are consistently elevated in malignant germ cell tumors, and I seek to further investigate their role in this process.
My PhD project is in collaboration with the group of Prof. dr. Eelco de Koning at the LUMC (in Leiden) as part of the reNEW consortium who focus on employing pluripotent stem cells to develop a curative treatment for diabetes mellitus type I.’