At the interface of stem cell research and new technologies

Stem cell research is a cornerstone for future regenerative medicine-based therapies and an area that has witnessed rapid progress over the last few years; as an example, it is just 10 years since the first publication on induced pluripotent (iPS) cells. However, many problems remain to be addressed, and one way to advance stem cell research is to promote its interface with novel technologies, ranging from unravelling gene functions with new genome-editing technologies to using novel biomaterials as scaffolds for cells for transplantation. How novel technologies impact on stem cell research and regenerative medicine was the topic of a recent Journal of Internal Medicine (JIM) symposium entitled ‘Human Models and Technology for Regenerative Medicine’. Five important and rapidly emerging areas of stem cell–technology interface that were discussed at the symposium are considered in more detail in review articles in the current issue of JIM [1–5].

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