University develops feline iPSCs without genetic footprint
The high-quality iPSCs could lead to discoveries for both veterinary and human medicine.
Osaka Metropolitan University has become the first to produce high-quality feline induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) without a genetic footprint.
The development of these new iPSCs could support the future of regenerative medicine for cats, including therapies for chronic kidney disease.
Although human iPSCs can be generated with four genes, known as transcription factors, feline iPSCs are considered more difficult to create.
In this project Shingo Hatoya, from the Graduate School of Veterinary Science, led a team to successfully generate feline iPSCs from six transcription factors. The transcription factors were introduced via the Sendai virus vector to create iPSCs from feline cells, including cells from the uterus that were donated after cats were sterilised.
The research team says that these iPSCs are the first high-quality iPSCs to be created in the world.
These stem cells exhibit the same properties as many iPS cells, including the ability to form teratomas with all three germ layers. This proves that the iPSCs are high quality and will be able differentiate into a variety of different cells.
The iPSCs do not have a genetic footprint, which lowers the chance that they will form tumours when implanted into another cat.
The cells can also be maintained without a feeder, such as fibroblast from mice, in chemically-defined conditions. This means that, because there is no need to mix cells from other species, the iPSCs are safer.
Further research into feline iPSCs could lead to a wider application of veterinary regenerative medicines, as well as advanced regenerative medicine research in humans.
Prof Hatoya said: “Especially in cats, chronic kidney disease and diabetes are serious problems,
“Establishing a method to have cells form a kidney or pancreas from feline iPSCs will be a challenge for future research.”
Prof Hatoya added: “High-quality feline iPSCs made possible by this research are expected to be provided to researchers around the world for use in veterinary regenerative medicine research, understanding of the pathophysiology of genetic diseases, and development of new therapeutic agents.”
The full study can be found in the journal Science Direct.
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The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
