Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are generated through the reprograming of somatic cells and exhibit similar characteristics of embryonic stem (ES) cells. The iPSCs have potentially overcome the immune rejection and ethical issues involved in the use of ES cells for clinical applications. However, the iPSCs have several problems including the low efficiency of reprograming and high tumorigenic potential due to the use of potential oncogenes for reprograming. Current studies provide significant progress toward generating safe iPS cells without any genomic modification. This review summarizes current strategies in the generation of iPS cells including variations of reprograming genes and types of somatic cells for reprograming.
