Label-free assessment of hiPS-derived hepatocytes by Raman microscopy

One major obstacle hampering the utilization of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPS) derived cells from bench to bedside is the safety concern of residual undifferentiated hiPS cells. To ensure the clinical use of differentiated cells, a method which can monitor the regenerative processes and assess the cell population without harming and modifying those cells is very critical in this field. Raman microscopy has emerged as a powerful tool in label-free observation and discrimination of cell types without external labels. Cell proliferation, differentiation, and maturation all trigger molecular changes that can be detected via Raman, enabling non-destructive characterization of cell and tissue constructs. By using Raman microscopy, we are aiming at establishing a non-invasive and quantitative evaluation method to monitor hepatic differentiation. In the future, this technique would be an invaluable tool in the quality control and safety assessment of hiPS-derived cell products.