Advances in porcine stem cell research and their applications in agriculture.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Porcine stem cell research has advanced considerably over the past decade, driven by the dual promise of biomedical modeling and agricultural innovation. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of recent progress in the isolation, characterization, and directed differentiation of major porcine stem cell types, including embryonic stem cells (pESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs), germline stem cells (pGSCs, spermatogonial stem cells and the controversially debated female germline stem cells), and various adult stem cell populations (e.g., muscle satellite cells, adipose-derived stem cells). We critically analyze persistent challenges that hinder translational applications. For pESCs and piPSCs, achieving stable, germline-competent pluripotency remains challenging. This difficulty arises from species-specific epigenetic roadblocks, such as aberrant DNA methylation and incomplete X-chromosome reactivation, as well as suboptimal culture conditions. For pGSCs, the lack of validated molecular markers for spermatogonial stem cells persists, and the existence of female germline stem cells in postnatal ovaries remains scientifically debated. Focusing on agricultural translation, we examine two key application domains. First, in cultured meat production, porcine muscle and adipose stem cells (or pluripotent stem cell-derived progenitors) are cultivated in vitro to gener

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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