Recent Advances in Therapeutic Applications of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are generated by reprogramming of differentiated somatic cells. These cells are identical to human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in gene expression pattern and the ability to differentiate. iPS cells can be used in in vitro modeling of diseases, testing drugs, assessing gene therapy methods, and cell therapy. Yet, the most important and promising application of iPS cells is in regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine is a novel area in medicine aiming at the treatment of impaired or lost tissues by replacing them with functional and healthy ones. Currently, organ transplantation, which is considered the only treatment and cure for a number of diseases, is limited by shortage of organ donors and availability of the right match. Therefore, utilization of an alternative source of cells and tissues is critical in transplantation therapy. In this study, we review recent advances in therapeutic application of iPS cells in diseases where organ transplantation remains the only solution and will discuss the potential and usage of iPS cells in different areas of regenerative medicine. The primary theory of using iPS cells in regenerative medicine has brought lots of promises due to its potential for solving the immunological, social, and ethical problems of using ESCs. Nevertheless, several issues and problems have to be resolved before applying iPS cells in therapeutic applications.