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
/ e. ^$ W6 O' q  _# \ability to restore pluripotency to somatic cells through the ectopic co-expression of reprogramming factors has created
4 t2 ]" C7 o' B9 O7 qpowerful new opportunities for modelling human diseases and offers hope for personalized regenerative cell therapies.
& @' z% ~* K% ?- GWhile the field is racing ahead, some researchers are pausing to evaluate whether induced pluripotent stem cells are
: v2 B8 Q1 K" Y; A8 Xindeed the true equivalents of embryonic stem cells and whether subtle differences between these types of cell might . O' w3 C; A' {+ b$ |( X9 p
affect their research applications and therapeutic potential.& r' f% R+ j; N9 j