A type of pluripotent stem cell that can be obtained directly from a somatic cell. The iPSC technology was developed by Shinya Yamanaka and Kazutoshi Takahashi in Kyoto, Japan, who jointly showed in 2006 that the introduction of four specific genes (Myc, Oct3/4, Sox2, and Klf4), collectively known as Yamanaka factors encoding transcription factors, can transform somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells. Shinya Yamanaka was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize, along with Sir John Gurdon, “for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent.” Pluripotent stem cells hold promise in the field of regenerative medicine. Because they can multiply indefinitely, as well as give rise to all other cell types in the body (such as neurons, heart, pancreas, and liver cells), they represent a single source of cells that can be used to replace those that have been lost through injury or disease.