title: Induced pluripotent stem cells for the treatment of stroke: the potential and the pitfalls.
abstract: The extraordinary discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has led to the very real possibility that patient-specific cell therapy can be realized. The potential to develop cell replacement therapies outside the ethical and legal limitations, has initiated a new era of hope for regenerative strategies to treat human neurological disease including stroke. In this article, we will review and compare the current approaches to derive iPSCs from different somatic cells, and the induction into neuronal phenotypes, considering the advantages and disadvantages to the methodologies of derivation. We will highlight the work relating to the use of iPSC-based therapies in models of stroke and their potential use in clinical trials. Finally, we will consider future directions and areas of exploration which may promote the realization of iPSC-based cell replacement strategies for the treatment of stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119228.
authors.forename: Fenggang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Cindi M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Morshead
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D044968:Regenerative Medicine; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*