Induced pluripotent stem cell
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Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) are a type of pluripotent stem cell that is made from cells from adult tissues. Pluripotent stem cell cells are cells with an unlimited capacity to divide and have the ability to turn into most of the cells or tissues in the body. They naturally occur in certain embryonic and fetal tissue. To create iPSC, specialized cells, such as skin cells, are isolated from adult tissues and treated with agents that change their protein expression pattern to mimic the proteins expressed by pluripotent stem cells.

iPSC may be used in research to help us understand the basic biology of how living things work and what happens in different types of cell during disease (disease model). iPSC may also be used in therapy to replace lost or damaged cells that our bodies can’t replace naturally. Researchers are exploring further uses for iPSC.

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Wellcome Genome Campus YourGenome: What is a stem cell?

Synonyms:
IPSC
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