Utility of human stem cells for drug discovery
Chintawar S., Graf M., Cader Z.
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015. Stem cell research is one of the most rapidly developing areas of biomedicine. The application of this ?eld in regenerative medicine is widely understood, but its potential role in drug discovery may be a nearer term achievement. Initial advances in SCNT and human embryonic stem cell derivation led to the discovery of the somatic cell reprogramming technology, and opened up many avenues for translational research. hESC-derived cells have recently been produced in large quantities for safety and toxicity assessment, are versatile but are limited in genetic diversity. Conversely, hiPSC offers the possibility of obtaining disease-affected human cells from different populations and races. iPSC derivatives from different genetic backgrounds can be employed to test potential drugs before clinical trials, socalled 'preclinical trials in a dish' that may allow the identi?cation of more targeted cohorts of patients, increasing the chances of success in the identi ?cation of safe and effective new medicines.