The promise of induced pluripotent stem cells in research and therapy

刘志红

The field of stem-cell biology has been catapulted forward by the startling development of reprogramming technology. The ' k9 p2 ^7 Y1 J* K' K" N+ z* C# D
ability to restore pluripotency to somatic cells through the ectopic co-expression of reprogramming factors has created
: E. s1 }% v6 N" S. {. mpowerful new opportunities for modelling human diseases and offers hope for personalized regenerative cell therapies. . G+ P8 T7 }- H  B
While the field is racing ahead, some researchers are pausing to evaluate whether induced pluripotent stem cells are . F- `' \- j* ]
indeed the true equivalents of embryonic stem cells and whether subtle differences between these types of cell might - N& d: s# D7 Y# n$ f8 j' O4 i
affect their research applications and therapeutic potential.6 b# s; J; }9 g. S; T. @4 i