How Morphology of the Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Determines the Selection of the Best Clone

The application of patient-specific human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has a great perspective for the development of personalized medicine. More than 10 hiPSCs clones can be obtained from one patient but not all of them are able to undergo directed differentiation with the same efficiency. Beside, some clones are even refractory to certain directions of differentiation. Therefore, the selection of the “best” or “true” hiPSC clone is very important, but this remains a challenge. Currently, this selection is based mostly on the clone’s morphological characteristics. Earlier, using methods of mathematical analysis and deep machine learning, we showed the fundamental possibility for selecting the best clone with about 89% accuracy based on only two to three morphological features. In this chapter, we will expand on how the morphological characteristics of various hiPSCs clones, the so-called “morphological portrait,” are reflected by their proteome. By reviewing previously published data and providing the new results, we will highlight which cytoskeletal proteins are responsible for the establishment of the “good” morphological phenotype. Finally, we will suggest further directions in this research area.