Iran 1st Producer of iPS Cells in ME  Date: 2008-11-03 TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran has become the first country in the Middle East and the fifth in the world to produce human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells(iPSC).
Human and mouse somatic cells reprogrammed into an undifferentiated state, exhibiting essential characteristics of embryonic stem cells, accelerate the cell production pace, press tv said, citing a report by the public relations office of the Educational Jihad. Royan Institute researchers claim these reprogrammed pluripotent stem cells also known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) maintain the developmental potential to differentiate into advanced derivatives of all three primary germ layers, suggesting that they could be effective in the identification of new disease models and fetal abnormalities, drug development, and gene therapy. The Reproductive Biomedical Stem Cell Biology and Technology Research Center scientists are optimistic that the findings will pave the way in treating refractory and genetic disorders. They believe the findings will help scientists discover new methods to treat amputated organs and congenital genetic disorders. Royan Institute researchers have inaugurated the first center for cell therapy following their latest achievements in the application of stem cells in treating patients with cardiac arrest, chronic lower extremities ulcers, limbal stem cell deficiency, liver cirrhosis, and vitiligo.