Thumbs Up for Stem Cells: Popular Reprogramming Methods Show No Systematic Mutations

Researcher Jeanne Loring thinks she has a good method for reversing the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (Figure 1), and she believes this method-a stem-cell therapy-will find its way to clinics in as little as twoand-a-half years. Although the work has progressed very smoothly, one thing has continued to nag at her: is it actually safe to transplant induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), or are these cells potentially dangerous to patients?