Teratoma
A tumour containing tissues from more than one germ layer; residual pluripotent cells are a product-specific safety concern.
Why Teratoma matters when choosing treatment
A tumour formed when pluripotent or poorly differentiated stem cells develop uncontrollably into multiple cell types (hair, bone, fat mixed chaotically). It's the main theoretical risk of pluripotent stem-cell therapy. Teratomas are rare in clinical practice with differentiated cells (bone-marrow MSCs, cord blood), but the risk is non-zero if pluripotent cells aren't fully controlled. Ask clinics whether they use pluripotent cells and, if so, what safety monitoring they employ (imaging at 3, 6, 12 months post-injection) to detect early tumour development. Reputable clinics avoid pluripotent cells for clinical work or apply rigorous differentiation protocols.