Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells (adult cells genetically reprogrammed to act like embryonic stem cells) could capture the details of human disease with unprecedented accuracy and revolutionize the way researchers search for new treatments.

Because each cell line comes from a human patient, the cells reflect the complex array of factors that led to the patient’s disease: the genetic mutations, the effects of environmental history. And because those cells can be prodded to develop into a variety of tissue types, scientists can watch the disease unfold in a petri dish.