日本两项条件性批准标志干细胞疗法‘成熟’

Stem cell therapies ‘come of age’ with two conditional approvals in Japan Induced pluripotent stem cells could help treat diseased hearts and brains DENNIS NORMILE Twenty years after they were first created in Japan, extraor- dinarily versatile stem cells made from the body’s own cells may finally realize their promise for regenerating diseased tissue. Last month, an advisory panel to Japan’s health ministry recommended limited marketing approval for therapies using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for heart failure and Parkinson’s dis- ease. In a controversial arrangement, their makers will be able to sell the products for 7 years while continuing studies to determine just how well the therapies work. …