Toward Full Pluripotency of Reprogrammed Cells — And Cautionary Tale About Abandoning the ‘Gold Standard’
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are among the most exciting recent developments in biomedicine, overcoming immunological and ethical issues associated with the use of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, reasonable doubt remains regarding whether iPSCs do in fact have the full biological and therapeutic potential of ESCs. Work at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute recently produced the first “all-iPSC” live mice, a milestone on the road to establishing full equivalence between the two methods.
