Regenerative Medicine: Science or Fiction?

Stem cells are cells that can self-renew and differentiate into many cell types. In adults, stem cells can only be found in specific organs, such as hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow that replenish your white and red blood cells following a designated developmental program. However, many organs (e.g., heart and pancreas) do not have stem cells. But your doctor may be able to use a process called reprogramming to cure diseases like diabetes or heart failure in the future. How could this happen? Dr. Wang will tell you stories about the induced pluripotent stem cells that can be generated from your skin cells via reprogramming and then coaxed into all types of adult cells, including cardiac muscles in the heart and beta-cells in the pancreas. She will also discuss other types of reprogramming processes that may be used in regenerative medicine.