Generation and Characterization of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Line UAEUi001-A from an Emirati Patient with Ventricular Septal Defect

The absence of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines derived from Emirati patients with developmental disease hampers region-specific disease modeling and therapeutic research. Herein, we describe the creation of an iPSC line from peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from a 21-year-old Emirati female patient with ventricular septal defect (VSD) using Sendai virus-mediated delivery of reprogramming factors. The resulting line, UAEUi001-A, exhibited typical colony morphology, was mycoplasma negative, successfully generated embryoid bodies), and demonstrated strong alkaline phosphatase activity. These iPSCs were further characterized for pluripotency potential and their differentiation potential into the three germ layers under in vitro culture conditions through immunostaining using stage-specific markers. To the best our knowledge, this is the first reported generation of an iPSC line from an Emirati patient with VSD. Overall, this iPSC line may serve as a valuable model for establishing an Emirati-specific iPSC repository, supporting disease modeling and drug discovery relevant to the Emirati population. Impact Statement This study establishes the first induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line derived from an Emirati patient with ventricular septal defect, addressing a critical gap in region-specific disease models. It provides a valuable platform for understanding developmental cardiac disorders in underrepresented populations and supports the development of precision medicine and targeted therapeutic strategies relevant to the Emirati population.