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Published online 26 March 2008 | Nature 452, 406-408 (2008) | doi:10.1038/452406a

News Feature

Stem cells: 5 things to know before jumping on the iPS bandwagon

Induced pluripotent stem cells look just like embryonic stem cells, but are easier to create and free of the heavy ethics baggage. David Cyranoski separates fact from fiction in a burgeoning field.

Excited by their potential for biomedical research and therapy and lured by the ease with which they can be created, many researchers are looking into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Created from adult cells by a simple genetic trick, iPS cells seem to have regained an embryonic 'stemness' that might allow them to become any type of cell in the body.

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    • 24 Mar, 2009
    • Posted by: Mark Peplow