This study identifies KLF7 as a key inducer of human pluripotency, showing its role in reprogramming somatic cells and enhancing chemical resetting to naive pluripotent stem cells.

EMBO Reports · Oct 15, 2025Peer-reviewedDevelopmental Biology

Feeder-free culture of naive human pluripotent stem cells retaining embryonic, extraembryonic and blastoid generation potential

Giada Rossignoli, Michael Oberhuemer, Ida Sophie Brun, Irene Zorzan, Anna Osnato, Anne Wenzel, Emiel van Genderen, Andrea Drusin, Giorgia Panebianco, Nicolo Magri, Mairim Alexandra Solís, Chiara Colantuono, Sam Samuel Franciscus Allegonda van Knippenberg, Thi Xuan Ai Pham, Sherif Khodeer, , Graziano Martello

This study develops a feeder-free serum-coated system for culturing naive human pluripotent stem cells, maintaining their developmental potential and reducing contamination and mutations.

bioRxiv · Jan 17, 2025 · PreprintCell Biology

TGF-beta dynamically controls epithelial identity in a 3D model of human epiblast

Irene Zorzan, Elena Carbognin, Andrea Lauria, Valentina Proserpio, Davide Benegnù, Caterina Dalrio, Mattia Arboit, Irene Paolucci, Andrea Drusin, Monika Śledziowska, Gianluca Amadei, Salvatore Oliviero, Graziano Martello

This study develops a 3D model of human pluripotent epiblast formation and shows that TGF-beta dynamically maintains epithelial identity, independent of canonical pluripotency markers.

bioRxiv · Dec 7, 2023 · PreprintDevelopmental Biology

Chemical conversion of human conventional Pluripotent Stem Cells to Trophoblast Stem Cells

Irene Zorzan, Riccardo Massimiliano Betto, Giada Rossignoli, Mattia Arboit, Andrea Drusin, Paolo G. V. Martini, Graziano Martello

This study converts conventional human pluripotent stem cells into trophoblast stem cells using a chemical resetting protocol that induces TSC markers and placental imprinted genes.

bioRxiv · Apr 7, 2022 · PreprintDevelopmental Biology