Two papers in Nature described a new technique of reprogramming mouse blood cells to a pluripotent state – where the cells can differentiate into any other type of cell – by exposing them to an acidic environment. read more

In the journal Cell Stem Cell, leading experts in the field published several opinion pieces on emerging issues related to generating iPS cell banks. read more

A Nature paper demonstrated it is possible to reprogramme adult cells into pluripotent stem cells within living mice. read more

A Nature paper described how induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells were used to make a functional human liver. read more

Researchers in Japan revealed in the journal Cell Stem Cell that they created cancer-specific, immune system cells called killer T lymphocytes, from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). read more

The 2012 prize went in part to Sir John Gurdon of Cambridge University for the part he played in the development of induced pluripotent stem cells, which provide an alternative to embryonic stem cells. read more

The 2012 prize went in part to Sir John Gurdon of Cambridge University for the part he played in the development of induced pluripotent stem cells, which provide an alternative to embryonic stem cells. read more

Research suggested that induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells, which can be genetically ‘reprogrammed’ into any cell type in the body, could generate an immune response in mice, raising questions over their suitability for medical treatments. read more

Environmental impacts on gene regulation may have an impact on stem cell development, according to new research. read more

Two new research papers show that induced pluripotent stem cells, which are equivalent to embryonic stem cells and can be obtained from adult tissues, can retain some of the characteristics of the cells from which they were formed. read more

Scientists in China have successfully demonstrated a new cloning technique which uses mouse skin cells which have been genetically reprogrammed to become embryonic stem cell-like cells called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). Furthermore, the scientists showed that they could successfully produce cloned adult mice from these cells, demonstrating their viability. read more

Scientists from Britain and Canada have discovered a way of genetically reprogramming human skin cells so that they demonstrate the properties of embryonic stem cells – including the ability to become almost any type of cell in the body – without the need for using human embryos to obtain stem cells, or potentially harmful viruses to modify the genes. read more

The study, from researchers in the United States, is the first to show that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are capable of becoming any other type of cell, can be used to model the pathology of the genetic muscle-wasting disease spinal muscular atrophy. The cells were derived from skin cells taken from a child with the disease, and are therefore genetically identical. read more

With the UK National Stem Cell Network holding the country’s first ever national stem cell research conference next week (9-11 April), and with the recent public and political debate surrounding the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, leading stem cell scientists came to the Science Media Centre to talk about issues for the future of stem cell science, including the role for induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research. read more

The research published in the journal Nature Biotechnology shed more light on which genetic factors are critical in the reprogramming of adult skin cells to become other types of cell. In this study the researchers achieved reprogramming of adult cells without the use of a gene which has been linked to the development of tumours. read more

The findings, made in parallel by two research groups, were published in the journals Cell and Science. The researchers were able to ‘reprogram’ adult skin cells to become cells of a different tissue type. read more

Professor Ian Wilmut, Centre for Reproductive Biology, University of Edinburgh, said: “This is a very interesting paper that adds considerably … read more