Optimizing Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells stability and reprogramming: bridging regenerative medicine and cancer treatment through proposed Antibody-Transcription Factor Conjugates

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) are stem cells derived from adult somatic cells with an equivalent pluripotency capability as embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The discovery of iPSCs was a significant breakthrough in the field of regenerative medicine, bypassing the ethical challenges surrounding ESCs while still having the ability to differentiate into various cell types for utilization in various clinical and research-related applications. Currently, iPSCs are being applied in disease modeling, drug screening, and tissue engineering, with future uses ranging from personalized medicine to multifactorial diseases. However, scientists are currently faced with several biological hurdles in the development of iPSC platforms. In particular, the current iPSC generation process is inefficient (high rate of incompletely reprogrammed cells), genetically unstable (high rate of tumorigenesis), immunogenic, and non-scalable. Recent attempts have tried to optimize the reprogramming with improved pluripotency and genetic integrity. Novel reprogramming factors and cultural conditions have been established, promising to mitigate these limitations. As iPSC technology advances in the area of regenerative medicine, new applications that are being developed indicate its possible applicability in the area of oncology. I propose that Antibody-Transcription Factor Conjugates (ATFCs) -along the lines of Antibody – Drug Conjugates - may be developed as a novel therapy that can reprogram cancer cells into pluripotent-like non-tumorigenic phenotypes and inhibit their malignant recurrence. By combining iPSC reprogramming principles and specific transcription factor targeting, ATFCs may offer another avenue for overcoming tumor resistance and improving cancer therapy. This review paper provides the current state of iPSC technology, the character and applications of iPSCs, and the limitations of their use. It also discusses recent advances in enhancing iPSC reprogramming efficiency, stability, and translational potential and how the suggested new approach such as ATFCs can further extend the range of iPSCs beyond that of regenerative medicine.