iPS cells, which were first generated by Japanese researchers, can turn into any cell in the body. The use of such cells to treat heart failure and spinal cord injuries may soon become a reality. This year, a clinical trial began in which heart muscle cell sheets formed from iPS cells were transplanted into a patient with severe heart disease. Another trial is also scheduled this year that involves the transplantation of neural stem cells made from iPS cells into people with spinal cord injuries.