In a step that brings stem cells closer to the clinic, researchers in Japan have found that transplanting reprogrammed stem cells into the brains of primates elicits little rejection by their immune systems.
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are created when skin cells, for example, are genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state. This kind of stem cells holds great potential for the treatment of disease, since the cells are genetically identical to the patient they are taken from.
However, studies in rodents have suggested that the immune system may still recognize cells derived from iPSCs as foreign, and mount an attack on them. This has cast doubt on the feasibility of similar cell therapy for humans.
Read the full original story here: Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s Proves Safe in Primates
