Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells?

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) are a type of stem cell derived from adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state. The discovery of iPSCs has revolutionized the field of regenerative medicine, as these stem cells offer a unique opportunity to generate pluripotent stem cells without the ethical and legal issues associated with the use of human embryos.The differentiation potential of iPSCs is virtually identical to that of embryonic stem cells, making them valuable for generating different cell types for therapeutic applications. Their potential applications range from drug development and disease modeling to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. For example, they can be used to generate patient-specific heart muscle cells or neurons that can then be transplanted into patients with damaged or diseased tissues. Furthermore, because they are derived from existing adult tissues, there is no risk of genetic incompatibility or immune rejection when used in patients.In addition to their therapeutic applications, iPSCs also have great research value due to their capacity for unlimited self-renewal and ability to differentiate into any cell type in the body. This groundbreaking technology has allowed scientists to study diseases at both a cellular level and in a whole organism context by generating disease models using patient specific iPSC lines that are not accessible with conventional technologies such as transgenic animals or two dimensional culture systems.