Induced pluripotent stem cells and the rise of human-relevant in vitro models: promise, pitfalls, and the path forward

"[...] iPSCs advance drug discovery and disease research not by offering a single optimal model, but by providing a spectrum of human-relevant systems with tunable complexity."Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) advance drug discovery and disease research not by offering a single optimal model, but by providing a spectrum of human-relevant systems with tunable complexity. Thoughtful model selection and protocol harmonization will be essential for maximizing both mechanistic insight and translational impact. As iPSC-based disease models continue to evolve, particularly through increasingly refined organoid systems, their integration into drug discovery pipelines is expected to improve preclinical screening, candidate validation, and ultimately the efficiency of clinical translation.