BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Stem Cell Research
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1569187
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancements in Stem Cell Differentiation and Disease ApplicationsView all 3 articles
Synchrotron Radiation FTIR microspectroscopy enables measuring dynamic cell identity patterning during human 3D differentiation
Provisionally accepted
- 1ALBA Synchrotron (Spain), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- 2IBIMA plataforma BIONAND, Malaga, Spain
- 3University of Malaga, Málaga, Spain
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Human cell fate specification, particularly in neural development, is difficult to study due to limited access to embryonic tissues and differences from animal models. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and 3D organoid models enable the study of early human neural development, surpassing limitations of 2D cultures by incorporating crucial cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions.In this study, we used synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) microspectroscopy to examine biomolecular profiles of 3D-differentiated organoids, specifically embryoid bodies (EBs) and neurospheres (NS), derived from hiPSCs. SR-FTIR allowed us to analyze these organoids' cellular identity at a biomolecular level, offering a holistic view that complements specific cell markers. Our findings reveal distinct biomolecular identities in 3D organoids, with differences in DNA structure, lipid saturation, phospholipid composition, and protein conformations. This approach highlights that cellular identity is shaped by more than gene expression alone; it involves unique biomolecular compositions that can be detected even in complex, multicellular environments. By demonstrating the role of molecular configuration in cell differentiation, our findings suggest that differentiation processes extend beyond genetics, involving interdependent biochemical signals. This study demonstrates the unique efficacy SR-FTIR in analyzing humanspecific 3D models for investigating complex multicellular differentiation mechanisms, offering new avenues for understanding the biochemical basis of human development and disease.
Keywords: SR-FTIR, biomolecular configuration, IPSC, 3D embryoid bodies, neural spheres, human morphogenesis, cell identity
Received: 31 Jan 2025; Accepted: 02 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ducic, Rodriguez-Yañez and E. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Gonzalez-Munoz, E, University of Malaga, Málaga, Spain
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.