Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells are the cutting edge of 21st century biotech and medical research. These amazing cells represent the future of personalized medical treatment and drug discovery, holding the potential to unlock countless modern mysteries about ourselves and our world.

What are iPSCs?

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are adult cells, like a skin or muscle cell, that have been reprogrammed back into a pluripotent state from which they can be re-differentiated into any adult cell type.

How are iPSCs made?

iPSCs are created by reprogramming adult cell types to express specific genes associated with a pluripotent state. These genes are commonly known as “Yamanaka factors” after their discovery by Shinya Yamanaka at Kyoto University in 2006. By increasing the expression of these genes, adult cells are transformed back into a pluripotent state that closely resembles an embryonic stem cell.

What are iPSCs used for?

iPSCs are the cutting edge of biotech and have numerous medical applications from regenerative medicince and drug development to personalized medicine and disease modeling. They provide an efficient and easily replicable microcosm of the human body for research and clinical experiments.

What are the advantages of iPSCs?

iPSCs can be made from any adult cell type, can be proliferated indefinitely, and can be re-differentiated into any other adult cell type.