Urine Cells-derived iPSCs: An Upcoming Frontier in Regenerative Medicine

There is a momentous surge in the development of stem cell technology, such as therapeutic and diagnostic tools. Stem cell-derived cells are currently used in various clinical trials. However, key issues and challenges faced involve the low differentiation efficiency, integration and functioning of transplanted stem cells-derived cells. Extraction of bone marrow, adipose or other mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) involves invasive methods, specialized skills and expensive technologies. Urine-derived cells, on the other hand, are obtained by non-invasive methods; samples can be obtained repeatedly from patients of any age. Urine-derived cells are used to generate reprogrammed or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) which can be cultured and differentiated into various types of cell lineages for biomedical investigations and drug testing in vitro or in vivo using model animals of human diseases. Urine cells-derived iPSCs (UiPSCs) have emerged as a major area of research having immense therapeutic significance. Given that preliminary preclinical studies are successful in terms of safety and as a regenerative tool, the UiPSCs will pave the way to the development of various types of autologous stem cell therapies.