DERIVATION AND THERAPEUTIC POTENTIALS OF INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS

The success of somatic cell reprogramming using defined transcription factors has laid the groundwork for generation of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for potential therapeutic purposes. Despite the promises iPS cell technology holds for regenerative medicine, current iPS cell derivation methods are still in infancy stages and have yet to be optimized for the safe and reliable production of clinical-grade pluripotent cells. Since the inception of iPS cell technology in 2006, rapid progress has been made to address the drawbacks implicated in iPS cell genesis methods. In this article, we review the key studies which have shaped the direction of the field, compare the various methods of iPS cell genesis and look ahead to the possibilities iPS cells offer for both research and clinical purposes.