EPCAM and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) models, transplantation of astrocyte progenitor cells with absent pluripotency markers in vitro (SSEA-4, epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EPCAM), TRA-1-60) showed no tumor formation in brain or spinal cord at 4, 17, and 39 weeks post-transplantation, supporting a favorable biosafety profile [74].