Induced pluripotent stem cells: A new addition to the virologists armamentarium

A significant amount of our understanding of the molecular events occurring during viral replication has originated from studies utilizing cell lines. These cell lines are normally obtained by the culture of samples from spontaneously occurring tumors or are derived by genetic manipulation of primary cells. The genetic events inducing immortalization and/or transformation to allow continual passage in culture can have profound effects resulting in a marked loss of cell type fidelity. The development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has revolutionized the field of developmental biology and is ushering in an era of personalized medicine for a wide range of inherited genetic diseases. Previously, development of iPSCs required dedicated facilities as well as highly detailed technical knowledge. The pace of development in this field however has been so rapid, that iPSCs are moving into an era of “off the shelf” use, whereby the use and manipulation of these cells is well within the ability of the majority of laboratories with standard tissue culture facilities. The introduction of iPSCs to studies in the field of virology is still in its infancy, and so far has been largely confined to viruses that are difficult to propagate in other experimental systems, but it is likely that this technology will become a standard methodology in the virologists armamentarium.