Zeitschrift für Zellwissenschaft und Therapie
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Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: To Model, To Treat

Hansen Wang

The development of the ability to convert somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) through expression of a small combination of transcription factors is a major breakthrough in the field of stem cell research. It has raised the possibilities of providing personalized cells for the study and treatment of numerous human diseases. In recent years, iPSCs have been derived from patients of a large variety of disorders. Here, the progresses that has been made in establishing iPSC-based disease models and the potentials of iPSC technology for personalized medicine, drug discovery and cell therapy are reviewed. The challenges from iPSC technology are also briefly discussed.