Cell Reprogramming, IPS Limitations, and Overcoming Strategies in Dental Bioengineering.

The procurement of induced pluripotent stem cells, or IPS cells, from adult differentiated animal cells has the potential to revolutionize future medicine, where reprogrammed IPS cells may be used to repair disease-affected tissues on demand. The potential of IPS cell technology is tremendous, but it will be essential to improve the methodologies for IPS cell generation and to precisely evaluate each clone and subclone of IPS cells for their safety and efficacy. Additionally, the current state of knowledge on IPS cells advises that research on their regenerative properties is carried out in appropriate tissue and organ systems that permit a safe assessment of the long-term behavior of these reprogrammed cells.

Stem cell and regenerative medicine.

Stem cells have been identified and isolated in many adult tissues. They exhibit a great plasticity and the ability to give rise to differentiated cells of several lineages. The possibility of transplantation of these stem cells into an adult to develop, integrate and rebuild destroyed tissues or organs has encouraged the study of the mechanisms of the differentiation of stem cells.