Shinya Yamanaka

Dr. Shinya Yamanaka is recognized for the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblasts by a combination of multiple transcription factors, and he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 jointly with Sir John B. Gurdon for this discovery. Twenty years after the discovery, the Cell Reports Medicine editorial team discusses with Dr. Yamanaka the scientific, technical, and translational milestones that have shaped the field of regenerative medicine. We also discuss the role of iPSCs in disease modeling and drug discovery, the interplay with genome editing, and ongoing issues that still prevent the widespread clinical application of iPSC-derived therapies. Finally, Dr. Yamanaka reflects on promising, yet underexplored, applications of iPSCs.