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Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic cells are...

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different types of cells. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are post-mitotic—that is, they no longer divide. However, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they “de-differentiate” and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are also pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are therefore called induced pluripotent stem...

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different types of cells. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are post-mitotic—that is, they no longer divide. However, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they “de-differentiate” and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are also pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are therefore called induced pluripotent stem...

Source And Potency Of Stem Cells

Source And Potency Of Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with extensive self-renewal properties that help them maintain their population during the fetal and adult stages of life. They can specialize in all cell types of the human body. However, their differential potential may vary and can be classified into five types. Stem cells can be (1) Totipotent, (2) Pluripotent, (3) Multipotent, (4) Oligopotent, and (5) Unipotent. Each stem cell has a specific origin; the fertilized egg or zygote is a totipotent cell and...

Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming

Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming

Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...

Multipotency of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Multipotency of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

The hematopoietic stem cells or HSCs are multipotent, meaning they can differentiate and give rise to all blood and immune cells. HSCs are maintained in the quiescent stage until an external stimulus initiates their differentiation. The multipotent HSCs exist as two heterogeneous populations, long-term repopulating cells (LTRC) and short-term repopulating cells (STRC). The two HSC populations have different surface markers or receptors and are classified based on quiescence and long-term...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Reprogramming Primary Amniotic Fluid and Membrane Cells to Pluripotency in Xeno-free Conditions

Reprogramming Primary Amniotic Fluid and Membrane Cells to Pluripotency in Xeno-free Conditions

Published on: November 27, 2017

Totipotency/pluripotency and patentability.

Hans-Werner Denker

Stem Cells (Dayton, Ohio)

|April 12, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Human embryonic stem cells are patentable under European law, even if totipotent. However, their potential to reconstitute an embryo via tetraploid complementation presents a significant biological and ethical barrier to patentability.

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Generation of Mice Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Generation of Mice Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

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Reprogramming Primary Amniotic Fluid and Membrane Cells to Pluripotency in Xeno-free Conditions

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Chemical Reversion of Conventional Human Pluripotent Stem Cells to a Naïve-like State with Improved Multilineage Differentiation Potency

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Generation of Mice Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Generation of Mice Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: November 29, 2012

Area of Science:

Biotechnology Law
Stem Cell Biology
European Patent Law

Background:

The patentability of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is debated, particularly concerning their totipotent or pluripotent nature.
Previous legal analyses, like Vrtovec and Vrtovec (2007), focused on differentiation potential as a legal argument.
This commentary highlights a critical biological consideration overlooked in prior legal assessments.

Discussion:

Tetraploid complementation is a biological technique that can lead to the development of a complete embryo from diploid cells.
The potential of hESC lines to be utilized in tetraploid complementation raises ethical and legal questions regarding their patentability.
This biological capability, distinct from mere differentiation potential, presents a novel argument against patenting certain stem cell types.

Key Insights:

Totipotency or pluripotency alone should not preclude patenting of hESCs under European law, as per existing legal scholarship.
The capacity of stem cells to facilitate embryo reconstitution via tetraploid complementation represents a significant biological hurdle for patentability.
This biological potential introduces a new ethical and legal dimension to the patent debate surrounding stem cell technologies.

Outlook:

Further legal and ethical discourse is needed to address the implications of tetraploid complementation on stem cell patent law.
Future patentability assessments may need to incorporate advanced biological capabilities beyond simple differentiation potential.
Clarification of legal frameworks is essential for continued innovation in regenerative medicine and stem cell research.