Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells as a new Strategy for Osteogenesis and Bone Regeneration

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, possess high proliferation and differentiation ability, are now considered an attractive option for osteogenic differentiation and bone regeneration. In fact, recent discoveries have demonstrated that iPS cells can be differentiated into osteoblasts, suggesting that iPS cells have the potential to advance future bone regenerative therapies. Herein, we provide an overview of the recent findings on osteogenic characteristics and differentiation potential of iPS cells. In addition, we discuss current methods for inducing their specification towards osteogenic phenotype as well as in vivo evidence supporting the therapeutic benefit of iPS-derived osteoblasts. Finally, we describe recent findings regarding the use of iPS-derived cells for osteogenic differentiation and bone regeneration, which have indicated that these pluripotent cells represent an ideal tool for regenerative cell therapies and might contribute to the development of future bone tissue engineering.