I n 2006, researchers at Kyoto University in Japan identified conditions that would allow specialized adult cells to be genetically “reprogrammed” to assume a stem cell-like state. These adult cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), were reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state by introducing genes important for maintaining the essential properties of embryonic stem cells...

We describe the use of a characteristic blue fluorescence to identify and isolate pluripotent human embryonic stem cells and human-induced pluripotent stem cells. The blue fluorescence emission (450-500 nm) is readily observed by fluorescence microscopy and correlates with the expression of pluripotency markers (OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG). It allows easy identification and isolation of undifferenti...

The recent development of induced pluripotent stem cells [5] (iPSCs) and related technologies has caught the attention of scientists, activists, politicians, and ethicists alike. IPSCs gained immediate international attention for their apparent similarity to embryonic stem cells [6] after their successful creation in 2006 by Shinya Yamanaka [7] and in 2007 by James Thompson and others. Although...

Until recently, scientists primarily worked with two kinds of stem cells from animals and humans: embryonic stem cells and non-embryonic "somatic" or "adult" stem cells. Scientists are just now beginning to improve their understanding of a third kind: induced pluripotent stem cells. Our authors describe how they were discovered, what they are, and why a growing number of researchers and clinici...

The potential for human disease treatment using human pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), also carries the risk of added genomic instability. Genomic instability is most often linked to DNA repair deficiencies, which indicates that screening/characterization of possible repair deficiencies in pluripotent human stem cells should be a...

The discovery that adult somatic cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent cells by expressing a combination of factors associated with pluripotency holds immense promise for a wide range of biotechnological and therapeutic applications. However, some hurdles-such as improving the low reprogramming efficiencies and ensuring the pluripotent potential, genomic integrity and safety of the resulti...