Scientist Stories: Shinya Yamanaka, Pioneer in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

4 Oct 2022 · 77 min
1:16:56

In this Japanese-language lecture, Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka recounts his personal journey from a physician motivated by his father's illness to pioneering induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology. He outlines the discovery of iPS cells in mice (2006) and humans (2007) using the four reprogramming factors OCT3/4, SOX2, KLF4, and c‑MYC, and describes practical protocols for generating iPS cells from blood and skin. Yamanaka then discusses applying patient‑derived iPS cells to model neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on ALS motor neuron generation, high‑throughput drug screening, and the identification of a repurposed drug (bosutinib) that protects motor neurons. He presents a case study of the ultra‑rare disease fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), detailing iPS‑based disease modeling, pre‑clinical testing, and an upcoming clinical trial in Japan. The talk highlights the concept of drug repositioning using iPS disease models to accelerate therapy development. Yamanaka describes a unique collaboration model between his academic lab and the Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda, integrating resources, libraries, and expertise to move iPS discoveries toward clinical applications, including organoid and 3‑D bioprinting approaches, genome editing, and epigenetic considerations. He reflects on challenges such as maintaining epigenetic fidelity, scaling cell production, and regulatory pathways. The lecture concludes with a Q&A covering topics like genome editing, organ transplantation, educational outreach, and the broader vision of using iPS technology to cure diseases while emphasizing ethical responsibility and the importance of sharing knowledge with the next generation.

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