ISSCR Statement on New Advances in Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research

New studies have been published in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals, demonstrating for the first time that human skin cells can be transformed into embryonic stem cell-like cells. The technology used to create these cells, induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells, holds great promise for creating patient- and disease-specific pluripotent stem cells for both research purposes and longer-term possible clinical use.

The ISSCR Ethics and Public Policy Committee, along with the ISSCR leadership support iPS cell research, as we do the many other paths in stem cell research being blazed by the members of the organization. We note that scientific advances cannot eliminate all ethical controversy, but for those who believe it is unethical to destroy human preimplantation embryos, finding other paths toward pluripotency is a positive move forward.

We know that the scientists that did the research have considered the challenges ahead—including the need to understand how to make iPS cells safe for potential clinical use.  The process uses retroviruses to insert genes into somatic cells, and in some cases genes that can cause cancer. Furthermore, the use of viruses to transport the reprogramming genes into the adult human cells causes mutations that predispose these cells to cancer, a technical problem that will have to be solved before the iPS cells can be used clinically. The technology does, however, immediately offer a valuable research tool.

It is premature to suggest that the use of iPS cells can replace the derivation of embryonic stem cells from embryos or by nuclear transfer. We believe that research on human embryonic stem cells, somatic cell nuclear transfer and “adult” or tissue-specific stem cells needs to continue in parallel. All are part of a research effort that seeks to expand our knowledge of how cells function, what fails in the disease process, and how the first stages of human development occur. It is this general knowledge that will ultimately generate safe and effective therapies.

Further reading:
This position is expanded in a recent article in Cell Stem Cell co-authored by the lead researchers who developed this technology in the mouse and Dr Hyun, Chair of the ISSCR Ethics and Public Policy:
 
Hyun, I., Hochedlinger, K., Jaenisch, R. and Yamanaka, S. (2007). New Advances in iPS Research Do Not Obviate the Need for Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Cell Stem Cell 1 367-368