Reversing Cellular Age: The Scientist Who Helped Create iPS Cells Reveals What’s Next - Dr. Koji Tanabe, Ph.D. - Founder and CEO, I Peace Inc.

Send us Fan MailFor most of human history, scientists believed that once a cell became a skin cell, a neuron, or a heart cell, that identity was permanent. Then a group of researchers discovered something extraordinary: cells could be reset. My guest today was there when that discovery happened.Dr. Koji Tanabe, Ph.D. is Founder and CEO of I Peace ( https://ipeace.com/en/ ), one of the world's leading companies advancing induced pluripotent stem cell - or iPSC - technology from the research laboratory into scalable clinical manufacturing.Dr. Tanabe occupies a truly unique place in modern biomedical history. He earned his Ph.D. in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Dr. Shinya Yamanaka at Kyoto University and was the second author on the landmark scientific paper that first demonstrated the successful creation of human induced pluripotent stem cells - a discovery that fundamentally changed regenerative medicine and ultimately earned Dr. Yamanaka the 2012 Nobel Prize.After helping establish one of the most important technologies in modern biology, Dr. Tanabe continued his work at Stanford University in the laboratory of Dr. Marius Wernig, a pioneer of direct cellular reprogramming, where he investigated how mature blood cells can be directly converted into neurons and explored the molecular mechanisms that govern cellular identity.In 2015, Dr. Tanabe founded I Peace with an ambitious vision: to make clinical-grade iPS cells accessible at industrial scale. Today, the company has developed automated GMP manufacturing platforms capable of producing personalized and clinical-grade iPS cells for researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and regenerative medicine programs around the world.On the episode we'll explore how far the field has come since those first groundbreaking experiments nearly two decades ago, where regenerative medicine stands today, the growing role of iPS cells in drug discovery and transplantation, the excitement surrounding in vivo reprogramming and partial cellular rejuvenation, and what may ultimately become possible when every individual has access to their own personalized stem cell bank.Important Episode Links - Future Medicine Lab with Koji Tanabe YouTube Channel -https://www.youtube.com/@FutureMedicineLabMy Peace (a service from I Peace) - Personal iPS Cell Banking Service - https://mypeace-personal-ipscbanking.com/en/#iPSC #StemCells #RegenerativeMedicine #CellularReprogramming #ShinyaYamanaka #NobelPrize #Biotechnology #Biotech #Longevity #AgingResearch #FutureMedicine #PrecisionMedicine #DrugDiscovery #CellTherapy #GeneEngineering #BiomedicalResearch #LifeSciences #HealthcareInnovation #MedicalInnovation #Science #Technology #Innovation #FutureOfMedicine #StemCellResearch #HumanBiology #SyntheticBiology #AIinMedicine #PharmaInnovation #DiseaseModeling #RegenerativeTherapySupport the show