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World J Stem Cells. Jul 26, 2019; 11(7): 421-430
Published online Jul 26, 2019. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v11.i7.421
Induced pluripotent stem cells, a giant leap for mankind therapeutic applications
José Bragança, João André Lopes, Leonardo Mendes-Silva, João Miguel Almeida Santos
José Bragança, João André Lopes, Leonardo Mendes-Silva, João Miguel Almeida Santos, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, University of Algarve, Faro 8005-139, Portugal
José Bragança, João André Lopes, Leonardo Mendes-Silva, João Miguel Almeida Santos, Centre for Biomedical Research (CBMR), University of Algarve, Faro 8005-139, Portugal
José Bragança, ABC - Algarve Biomedical Centre, Faro 8005-139, Portugal
Author contributions: All authors contributed to this paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: None.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: José Bragança, PhD, Assistant Professor, Centre for Biomedical Research (CBMR), University of Algarve, Campus of Gambelas, Building 8, Room 2.22, Faro 8005-139, Portugal. jebraganca@ualg.pt
Telephone: +351-28-9800900-302317 Fax: +351-28-9800076
Received: February 22, 2019
Peer-review started: February 24, 2019
First decision: April 16, 2019
Revised: April 22, 2019
Accepted: June 12, 2019
Article in press: June 13, 2019
Published online: July 26, 2019
Processing time: 154 Days and 4.7 Hours
Abstract

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) technology has propelled the field of stem cells biology, providing new cells to explore the molecular mechanisms of pluripotency, cancer biology and aging. A major advantage of human iPSC, compared to the pluripotent embryonic stem cells, is that they can be generated from virtually any embryonic or adult somatic cell type without destruction of human blastocysts. In addition, iPSC can be generated from somatic cells harvested from normal individuals or patients, and used as a cellular tool to unravel mechanisms of human development and to model diseases in a manner not possible before. Besides these fundamental aspects of human biology and physiology that are revealed using iPSC or iPSC-derived cells, these cells hold an immense potential for cell-based therapies, and for the discovery of new or personalized pharmacological treatments for many disorders. Here, we review some of the current challenges and concerns about iPSC technology. We introduce the potential held by iPSC for research and development of novel health-related applications. We briefly present the efforts made by the scientific and clinical communities to create the necessary guidelines and regulations to achieve the highest quality standards in the procedures for iPSC generation, characterization and long-term preservation. Finally, we present some of the audacious and pioneer clinical trials in progress with iPSC-derived cells.

Keywords: Induced pluripotent stem cells; Reprogramming; Cell-based therapy; Stem cell banking; Disease modelling

Core tip: In this review, we present the current status on the basic and applied research involving induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). We discuss concerns around iPSC reprogramming technology, and present initiatives that have been recently developed for the use of iPSC in health-related issues. We also introduce some of the audacious clinical trials already ongoing to treat patients with cells derived from iPSC.