Overview

• The research team, led by Hideki Masaki, successfully derived naive-type induced pluripotent stem cells from chimpanzee somatic cells using PRC2 inhibition.
• Chimpanzee naive PSCs exhibit gene expression patterns and differentiation potential similar to human naive PSCs, including the ability to form trophectoderm and hypoblast lineages.
• The team became the first to generate tri-lineage blastoids from chimpanzee PSCs, creating ethical models for studying early embryogenesis in primates.
• A feeder-free culture system was developed, eliminating the need for animal-derived feeder cells and improving the potential for clinical applications.
• These findings highlight evolutionary conservation of expanded pluripotency among great apes and open new avenues for regenerative medicine and developmental biology research.