The derivation of human embryonic stem cells in the last decades, made
possible by the parallel and growing development of in vitro fertilization and embryo
cryopreservation technologies, have opened the door for regenerative medicine. The
study of cell replacement in loss of function diseases has received further impulse by
the derivation of induced pluripotent cells less than 10 years ago. Currently, pluripotent
cells are extensively employed in disease modeling, toxicology testing, and drug
discovery. Phase I clinical trials with both embryonic and induced pluripotent cells
derivates have been underway for a few years now, and initial results have been
published recently. As the field of regenerative medicine moves forward at an
impressive pace, we aim to review the origin and characteristics of the different kind of
pluripotent stem cells, their potential use in key translational areas, and the challenges
and opportunities that we face for their integrated use in a modern and personalized
medicine.
Keywords: Cell therapy, Differentiation, In vitro disease modeling, In vitro drug
screening, In vitro embryo culture, Induced pluripotency, Pluripotent stem cells,
Regenerative medicine.
