Aarkstore - Complete 2013-14 Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Industry Report
Summary
Stem cell research and experimentation has been in process for well over five decades, as stem cells have the unique ability to divide and replicate repeatedly. In addition, their “unspecialized” nature allows them to differentiate into a wide variety of specialized cell types. The possibilities arising from these characteristics have caused great commercial interest, with potential applications ranging from the use of stem cells in reversal or treatment of disease, to targeted cell therapy, tissue regeneration, pharmacological testing on cell-specific tissues, and more. Diseases such as Huntington’s Chorea, Parkinson’s Disease, and spinal cord injuries are examples of clinical applications in which stem cells could offer benefits in halting or even reversing damage.
Traditionally, scientists have worked with both embryonic and adult stem cells as research tools. While the appeal of embryonic cells has been their ability to differentiate into any type of cell, there has been significant ethical, moral and spiritual controversy surrounding their use for research purposes. Although some adult stem cells do have differentiation capacity, it is often limited in nature, which creates narrow options for use. Thus, induced pluripotent stem cells represent a promising combination of adult and embryonic stem cell characteristics.
Discovery:
Groundbreaking experimentation in 2006 led to the introduction of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). These are adult cells which are isolated and then transformed into embryonic-like stem cells through the manipulation of gene expression, as well as other methods. Research and experimentation using mouse cells at Kyoto University in Japan was the first instance in which there was successful...