The big picture: Nearly two decades ago, Shinya Yamanaka and Kazutoshi Takahashi discovered they could turn mature somatic cells back into stem cells. The scientists predicted these new cells could be the key to regenerative treatments for serious injuries and conditions. Today, another Japanese team has achieved the first promising results of this breakthrough. Researchers at Keio University have begun using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) to treat and maybe even cure severe spinal cord injuries. The iPS technology was first conceived by Shinya Yamanaka in 2006, who later received the Nobel Prize with John Gurdon for discovering that they could reprogram adult cells to return to their pluripotent, stem cell-like state.