2. Academic Validation
  3. Metal-organic polyhedra maintain the self-renewal of embryonic stem cells

Metal-organic polyhedra maintain the self-renewal of embryonic stem cells

  • Nat Commun. 2025 Sep 30;16(1):8684. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63811-6.
Ran Wang # 1,  Yilin Qi # 1,  Jinjin Liu # 2,  Yang Li 3,  Hongde An 1,  Heping Wang 1,  Jie Song 1,  Wenzhuo Hu 3,  Shaochun Wu 1,  Leqian Yu 4,  Yao Chen 5 6,  Xue Xue 7 8
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300353, China.
  • 2 State Key Laboratory of Advanced Separation Membrane Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin, 300387, China.
  • 3 College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300353, China.
  • 4 Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China.
  • 5 State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300353, China. chenyao@nankai.edu.cn.
  • 6 National Institute for Advanced Materials, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300353, China. chenyao@nankai.edu.cn.
  • 7 State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300353, China. xuexue@nankai.edu.cn.
  • 8 Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300353, China. xuexue@nankai.edu.cn.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 41028750 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63811-6
Abstract

Embryonic stem cells (ESC) are pluripotent, with the potential to differentiate into multiple cell types, making them a valuable tool for regenerative medicine and disease therapy. However, common culture methods face challenges, including strict operating procedures and high costs. Currently, Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF), an indispensable bioactive protein for ESC culture, is typically applied to maintain self-renewal and pluripotency, but its instability and high cost limit its effectiveness in stable culture conditions. Hence, we have developed an innovative strategy using a soluble nanomaterial, metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs), to effectively maintain the self-renewal and pluripotency of ESC. The selected amino-modified vanadium-based MOP not only exhibits excellent biocompatibility and high stability but also possesses similar or even superior biological functions compared to commercial LIF. Due to the precise structure of MOPs, the active site responsible for maintaining ESC pluripotency has been identified and regulated at the molecular level. The new ESC culture method significantly reduces costs, simplifies preparation, and enhances the practicality of biopharmaceutical preparation and storage. This represents the first case of using MOPs to maintain self-renewal of ECS, opening an avenue for introducing advanced Materials into the development of innovative ESC culture methods.

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