Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Non-Model Species: Applications and Challenges

Induced pluripotent stem cells have revolutionized biomedical research - yet the vast majority of life on Earth remains beyond their reach. Non-model species lack the annotated genomes, validated reagents, and species-specific culture infrastructure that make iPSC technology routine in humans and mice, and this infrastructure deficit, rather than any fundamental biological barrier, is what has kept the field narrow. The core pluripotency network is conserved across vertebrates; reprogramming is, in principle, achievable in any somatic cell from any species. This review consolidates current progress and future potential of iPSC technology across five domains: technical reprogramming challenges and advances; conservation applications including genetic rescue, in vitro gametogenesis, and de-extinction; medical applications within a one medicine framework; agricultural applications spanning disease resistance, climate resilience, and cultured meat; and species-specific iPSC-derived systems in ecotoxicology. Throughout, we distinguish what has been demonstrated from what remains aspirational and identify the priorities that will determine whether the iPSC revolution can be extended - rigorously and at scale - beyond model organism research.