By Nippon.com –
Japan is a global leader in cutting-edge research into the use of iPS cells, whose potentials include the development of revolutionary new medicines and treatments for incurable diseases. We sat down with Etō Kōji, the deputy director of Kyoto University’s Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, to talk about promising new developments in the field.
Promising Research
In 2006 Professor Yamanaka Shin’ya of Kyoto University published a paper reporting his success in producing induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. This marked a major breakthrough in stem cell research that brought huge therapeutic potential. What is unique about iPS cells is their ability to transform into any other kind of cell, much as when a fertilized egg divides to form the various organs in a multicellular organism’s body—a process called differentiation.
