New mutations in iPS cells are mainly concentrated in non-transcriptional regions

Induced pluripotent stem cells—stem cell-like cells that have been reprogrammed from normal body cells—are a promising avenue of regenerative medicine, and are currently being tested in several clinical studies. However, there are concerns that the mutations that arise in these cells during their generation could potentially cause problems in transplant patients, in particular malignancies. Consequently, researchers are keen to understand the nature of the mutations that arise in these cells.