Stepping back to move forward: a current review of iPSCs in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract

The successful generation of the first iPSCs about ten years ago has provided deeper insight into previously unknown disease mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities for many diseases. In particular, iPSCs are becoming an important tool in advancing modeling and therapeutic intervention for Alzheimer's disease. In this manuscript, we assess the research climate surrounding the application of iPSCs to familial and sporadic Alzheimer's disease, including the generation and isolation of individualized neural stem cells, the introduction of neural stem cell transplants using iPSCs, and an estimation of the potential use of iPSCs as research models for Alzheimer's treatments and therapies. The clinical application of stem cells in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease appears promising, but much of the recent experimentation has been conducted using animal models or embryonic stem cells. As induced pluripotent stem cell research advances, iPSCs will likely provide investigators with a more applicable tool to progress advances in research and treatment for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.