Iran's stem cell research may lead to a vitiligo treatment

Researchers at the Tehran Royan Institute are taking advantage of Iran's open embrionic research programs. A team lead by Dr Baharvand claims to have pioneered a procedure that uses the patient's own stem cells to cure vitiligo.

This research focuses on induced pluripotent stem (IPS), adult stem cells which are made to act like embryonic ones - they gain the ability to become any cell in the human body.

Rather than managing the symptoms of the disease, they would be used to regenerate the affected parts of the body.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUaCMIYYTNE

Update 2010-01-02: Interview with Dr. Nasser Aghdami, head of the regenerative medicine department at the Royan Institute in Iran