Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

     Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) are stem cells that can be reprogrammed from adult cells, often skin cells. In most cases, skin cells are taken from an adult and reprogrammed using specific genes, four known ones being Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. These genes, which are active only in embryos, are able to reprogram adult cells back into embyotic cells. At this state, the cell can become any of the 220 human body cells.

     Most of the testing done has been on mice. Scientist have been able to correct mutations, if they know where the mutation is located. They have been able to kill some diseases in mice that mimic human diseases.

     Scientist have been able to deliver these reprogramming genes through adenviruses, which only last for a short amount of time, but leave the genes permanently. Scientist have also been successful in tricking adult cells to reprogram using chemicals that mimic the reprogramming cells. Soon, scientist hope to make drugs that can reprogram instead of using viruses.

     At this point in time, there are too many risks, such growing a teratoma in the brain (a teratoma is a type of tumor formed from embryonic cells when something is injected under the skin), for scientist to experiment on humans. And there are many people who believe that playing the role of God is wrong, and who will never permit human testing.