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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Selecting and Isolating Colonies of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Reprogrammed from Adult Fibroblasts
Published on: February 20, 2012
Induced pluripotent stem cells--alchemist's tale or clinical reality?
S Tamir Rashid1, Ludovic Vallier
1Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
None:
Following Shinya Yamanaka's first report describing the reprogramming of fibroblasts into stem cells over three years ago, some sceptics initially drew analogies between this new field of research and the quasi-mystical practice of 'alchemy'. Unlike the alchemist, however, stem cell researchers have rigorously tested and repeated experiments, proving their very own brand of cellular 'alchemy' to be a reality, with potentially massive implications for the study of human biology and clinical medicine. These investigations have resulted in an explosion of related publications and initiated the field of stem cell research known as 'induced pluripotency'. In this review, we give an account of the historical development, current technologies and potential clinical applications of induced pluripotency and conclude with a perspective on the possible future directions for this dynamic field.
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