A promising approach to iPSC-based cell therapy for diabetic wound treatment: direct lineage reprogramming

Successful reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has ushered in a new era of regenerative medicine. Several studies on iPSCs have corroborated their immense promise and potential for use in cell therapy and disease modeling. However, several shortcomings need to be overcome before they can be used in clinical therapy. Investigation of iPSC fate and physiology in vivo and ultimately, the feasibility of their application in cell transplantation therapy, requires more in-depth studies in living subjects. One recently established alternative approach to reprogramming involves the direct conversion of a terminally differentiated somatic cell of one type into another, without dedifferentiating into a pluripotent state. This direct lineage reprogramming strategy is significantly faster, has the potential to generate an enriched population of a specific subtype of cells, and hence, has wide implications in regenerative cell therapy. Here, we review recent advances in iPSC technology and summarize the research on the generation of patient-specific induced cell types using direct lineage conversion. Specifically, we focus on the scope of application of this approach in autologous cell replacement therapy for diabetic wound treatment.