Observation and Measurement of Cells with SPM (I): Observation of iPS Cells and HeLa Cells

Introduction

Astonishing progress has been achieved in regenerative medicine using iPS cells in recent years, and clinical research has also been reported. In these efforts, the characteristics of the iPS cells, such as their colony shape and proliferation rate, differ depending on the cell line derivation and culture method, and it has been pointed out that iPS cells may form cancer cells, depending on the case. It can be inferred that differences in iPS cells, which can be called as individuality, are one factor that controls differentiation into diverse kinds of cells. Elucidation of this individuality has the potential to become an innovative technology in regenerative medicine. However, there are many unknowns concerning what imparts individuality, and this has become an obstacle in the use of iPS cells. Therefore, we attempted cell shape observation with a scanning probe microscope (SPM), which has not been reported previously. The specimens used in this study were undifferentiated iPS cells and, as an extreme opposite type, cancerous HeLa cells. This study clarified the fact that HeLa cells are dome-shaped, whereas iPS cells are flat and intercellular adhesion takes the form of a network structure.

April 10, 2019 GMT