The authors discuss pluripotent stem cells, which can divide and multiply indefinitely and are important within the embryonic phase since they can differentiate into many different kinds of cells in an organism. Zomer and colleagues assert that both MSCs and iPS cells have the potential to be used for a variety of applications in regenerative medicine. The authors specifically evaluate the potential applications of MSCs and iPS cells for regenerative medicine, or the field of medicine that focuses on developing methods to regrow or repair damaged cells, organs, or tissues. Stem cells are a special cell type that can develop into any other type of cells and are essential for development. The authors review the biology of three types of stem cells, embryonic stem cells, or ESCs, mesenchymal stem cells, or MSCs, and induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells. Zomer and colleagues published the review article “Mesenchymal and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: General Insights and Clinical Perspectives,” hereafter “Mesenchymal and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells,” in Stem Cells and Cloning: Advances and Applications. Induced-pluripotent stem cells are also powering technologies, like organoids and tissue engineering, that are accelerating research in labs across the University of Washington and around the world.“Mesenchymal and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: General Insights and Clinical Perspectives” (2015), by Helena D. What are induced pluripotent stem cells used for?Īt the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM), induced pluripotent stem cells are used to model a wide range of diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, heart diseases, kidney disease, muscle disorders, blood diseases, diabetes and other conditions impacting the human body. Although induced pluripotent stem cells are not yet used in clinics, this technology also means patients could one day be treated with their own cells. This gives regenerative medicine researchers an easily accessible and replenishable source of stem cells they can use to study human development, disease onset, and potential therapies. Induced pluripotent stem cells are engineered in labs by resetting adult cells to a stem cell-like state. Today, induced pluripotent stem cells are derived from adult cells that are abundant in skin, urine, and blood. In a nod to popular Apple products, Yamanaka also gave induced pluripotent stem cells the shorthand name by which they are commonly known today: iPSC or hiPSC for human induced pluripotent stem cells. Later that year, the same approach was used successfully with human stem cells, opening up exciting new avenues of research and possible treatments for a wide range of diseases. Starting in mice, a team led by Shinya Yamanaka used genes associated with the growth of embryonic stem cells to reprogram adult cells in mice. What is the history of induced pluripotent stem cells?Įmbryonic and adult stem cells were the two primary options until 2007, when scientists at Kyoto University in Japan pioneered a new technology known as induced pluripotent stem cells. Adult stem cells can be taken from patients, but these cells have already matured beyond a point where they can become many other cell types, minimizing their usefulness for study of other organs and tissues. Embryonic stem cells also cannot be matched to individual patients, a barrier to future therapeutic applications. First, they must be derived from donated embryonic tissue, limiting their supply. Embryonic stem cells, which are particularly valuable, also come with challenges. There are several ways scientists can obtain stem cells to use in research. In regenerative medicine, researchers use stem cells to study diseases, to test drugs in labs without involving humans or animals, and, in limited cases, as treatments in patients.

Stem cells enable organisms to develop, grow, and replenish tissue lost to injury, disease, and natural attrition. In general, the term stem cell refers to a category of cells that give rise to other cells (like skin, blood, heart, and muscle cells) by replicating and differentiating in response to chemical cues. To understand the usefulness of induced pluripotent stem cells, it helps to know a few basic facts about stem cells and the role they play in research. Induced pluripotent stem cell technology is a powerful tool that scientists at the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine use to study a wide range of diseases.