In Vivo Reprogramming in Regenerative Medicine

There have been significant improvements in the development of cell based therapies; however, current treatment strategies still suffer from some problems: the need for long in vitro culture conditions, inefficient delivery of cells by scaffolds and low incorporation and grafting efficiencies. Therefore, in vivo reprogramming has emerged as a novel treatment technology. In the process of in vivo reprogramming, cells switch to another cell type within the living organism. Leaders in the field discuss how in vivo reprogramming can be used for tissue repair and regeneration in different organs, including pancreas, liver and heart. Furthermore, recent studies on in vivo cell reprogramming towards pluripotency are also reviewed. Current challenges of these preclinical studies are discussed and hypothesis and suggestions are given in order to improve the current strategies to achieve translation into clinic.