Pluripotent and Somatic Stem Cells: From Basic Science to Utilization in Disease Modeling and Therapeutic Application

In April of 2013, the 7th International Meeting of the Stem Cell Network North Rhine Westphalia (NRW), organized by the Stem Cell Network NRW and the University of Cologne as a local host (see www.kongress.stammzellen.nrw.de), took place in the beautiful city of Cologne, Germany. This year's scientific program especially highlighted the outstanding breakthrough and well-deserved Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for Shinya Yamanaka and Sir John B. Gurdon for their “discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent” (Gurdon et al., 1975; Takahashi and Yamanaka, 2006; Takahashi et al., 2007). Numerous researchers and speakers from various scientific fields presented their data on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for basic research, regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug discovery. More than 700 participants presenting 180 posters were attracted by the scientific program, which provided an excellent and interdisciplinary platform for discussion and collaborations. This meeting report summarizes some of the most interesting presentations on various issues of stem cell research.