Kyoto University CiRA: Japan’s Leading Stem Cell Research Center

An open lab on the fourth floor of the CiRA building. Cross-disciplinary research is carried out in a completely open research environment (Photo: CiRA, Kyoto University, June 2010).

Platelets made from human iPS cells transfused into mice. When the vascular endothelium was damaged with laser irradiation, these human iPS cell-derived platelets gathered at the wound and formed blood clots.

Megakaryocytes made from human iPS cells (photo: Assistant Professor Takayama Naoya, CiRA)

Platelets can also be made from ES cells. But using iPS cells allows multiple cell lines to be easily established, so that those cells that are more suitable for producing platelets can be easily selected, leading to efficient production of the platelet preparation.