Japan's government has approved an application for a clinical test of treatment for an intractable blood disease using iPS cells, which can grow into any type of body tissue.
A health ministry panel on Friday gave the go-ahead to the application by a team at Kyoto University for the test for aplastic anemia.
People with the disease have blood platelet deficiency and are prone to internal bleeding.
Conventional treatment includes blood transfusions, but some patients cannot receive them due to severe rejection.
The team has chosen a patient for the test. Members plan to create iPS cells from the patient's cells, grow them into blood platelets and transfuse them.
With administrative procedures completed, the team says it wants to start the test once preparations are ready.
