title: Harnessing the potential of induced pluripotent stem cells for regenerative medicine.
abstract: The discovery of methods to convert somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) through expression of a small combination of transcription factors has raised the possibility of producing custom-tailored cells for the study and treatment of numerous diseases. Indeed, iPSCs have already been derived from patients suffering from a large variety of disorders. Here we review recent progress that has been made in establishing iPSC-based disease models, discuss associated technical and biological challenges, and highlight possible solutions to overcome these barriers. We believe that a better understanding of the molecular basis of pluripotency, cellular reprogramming and lineage-specific differentiation of iPSCs is necessary for progress in regenerative medicine.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, Massachusetts, USA. smwu@partners.org
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hochedlinger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D044968:Regenerative Medicine