Recent advances in the concept of paraprobiotics: Nutraceutical/functional properties for promoting children health.

Probiotics consumption has been associated with various health promoting benefits, including disease prevention and even treatment by modulating gut microbiota. Contrary to this, probiotics may also overstimulate the immune system, trigger systemic infections, harmful metabolic activities, and promote gene transfer. In children, the fragile immune system and impaired intestinal barrier may boost the occurrence of adverse effects following probiotics' consumption. To overcome these health challenges, the key focus has been shifted toward non-viable probiotics, also called paraprobiotics. Cell wall polysaccharides, peptidoglycans, surface proteins and teichoic acid present on cell's surface are involved in the interaction of paraprobiotics with the host, ultimately providing health benefits. Among other benefits, paraprobiotics possess the ability to regulate innate and adaptive immunity, exert anti-adhesion, anti-biofilm, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-proliferative, and antagonistic effects against pathogens, while also enhance clinical impact and general safety when administered in children in comparison to probiotics. Clinical evidence have underlined the paraprobiotics impact in children and young infants against atopic dermatitis, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, in addition to be useful for immunocompromised individuals. Therefore, this review focuses on probiotics-related issues in children's health and also discusses the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp. qualities for qualifying as paraprobiotics and their role in promoting the children's health.

Advances in the concept of functional foods and feeds: applications of cinnamon and turmeric as functional enrichment ingredients.

Spices are a rich source of vitamins, polyphenols, proteins, dietary fiber, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, all of which play an important role in biological functions. Since ancient times, spices have been used in our kitchen as a food coloring agent. Spices like cinnamon and turmeric allegedly contain various functional ingredients, such as phenolic and volatile compounds. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the current knowledge about the nutritional profiles of cinnamon and turmeric, as well as to analyze the clinical studies on their extracts and essential oils in animals and humans. Furthermore, their enrichment applications for food products and animal feed have also been investigated in terms of safety and toxicity. Numerous studies have shown that cinnamon and turmeric have various health benefits, including the reduction of insulin resistance and insulin signaling pathways in diabetic patients, the reduction of inflammatory biomarkers, and the maintenance of gut microflora in both animals and humans. The food and animal feed industries have taken notice of these health benefits and have begun to promote cinnamon and turmeric as healthy foods. This has resulted in the development of new food products and animal feeds that contain cinnamon and turmeric as primary ingredients, which have been deemed an effective means of promoting cinnamon and turmeric's health benefits.

Non-edible fruit seeds: nutritional profile, clinical aspects, and enrichment in functional foods and feeds.

Nowadays, fruits are gaining high demand due to their promising advantages on human health. Astonishingly, their by-products, that is, seeds and peels, account for 10-35% of fruit weight and are usually thrown as waste after consumption or processing. But it is neglected that fruit seeds also have functional properties and nutritional value, and thus could be utilized for dietary and therapeutic purposes, ultimately reducing the waste burden on the environment. Owing to these benefits, researchers have started to assess the nutritional value of different fruits seeds, in addition to the chemical composition in various bioactive constituents, like carotenoids (lycopene), flavonoids, proteins (bioactive peptides), vitamins, etc., that have substantial health benefits and can be used in formulating different types of food products with noteworthy functional and nutraceutical potential. The current review aims to comprehend the known information of nutritional and phytochemical profiling of non-edible fruits seeds, viz. apple, apricot, avocado, cherry, date, jamun, litchi, longan, mango, and papaya. Additionally, clinical studies conducted on these selected non-edible fruit seed extracts, their safety issues and their enrichment in food products as well as animal feed has also been discussed. This review aims to highlight the potential applications of the non-edible fruit seeds in developing new food products and also provide a viable alternative to reduce the waste disposal issue faced by agro-based industries.

Antioxidative potential of Lactobacillus sp. in ameliorating D-galactose-induced aging.

Aging is a progressive, unalterable physiological degradation process of living organisms, which leads to deterioration of biological function and eventually to senescence. The most prevalent factor responsible for aging is the accumulation of damages resulting from oxidative stress and dysbiosis. D-galactose-induced aging has become a hot topic, and extensive research is being conducted in this area. Published literature has reported that the continuous administration of D-galactose leads to the deterioration of motor and cognitive skills, resembling symptoms of aging. Hence, this procedure is employed as a model for accelerated aging. This review aims to emphasize the effect of D-galactose on various bodily organs and underline the role of the Lactobacillus sp. in the aging process, along with its anti-oxidative potential. A critical consideration to the literature describing animal models that have used the Lactobacillus sp. in amending D-galactose-induced aging is also given. KEY POINTS: • D-Galactose induces the aging process via decreasing the respiratory chain enzyme activity as well as ATP synthesis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and increased ROS production. • D-Galactose induced aging primarily affects the brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, and skin. • The anti-oxidative potential of Lactobacillus sp. in improving D-galactose-induced aging in animal models via direct feeding and feeding of Lactobacillus-fermented food.

Phyto-Enrichment of Yogurt to Control Hypercholesterolemia: A Functional Approach.

Cholesterol is essential for normal human health, but elevations in its serum levels have led to the development of various complications, including hypercholesterolemia (HC). Cholesterol accumulation in blood circulation formsplaques on artery walls and worsens the individuals' health. To overcome this complication, different pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches are employed to reduce elevated blood cholesterol levels. Atorvastatin and rosuvastatin are the most commonly used drugs, but their prolonged use leads to several acute side effects. In recent decades, the potential benefit of ingesting yogurt on lipid profile has attracted the interest of researchers and medical professionals worldwide. This review aims to give an overview of the current knowledge about HC and the different therapeutic approaches. It also discusses the health benefits of yogurt consumption and highlights the overlooked phyto-enrichment option to enhance the yogurt's quality. Finally, clinical studies using different phyto-enriched yogurts for HC management are also reviewed. Yogurt has a rich nutritional value, but its processing degrades the content of minerals, vitamins, and other vital constituents with beneficial health effects. The option of enriching yogurt with phytoconstituents has drawn a lot of attention. Different pre-clinical and clinical studies have provided new insights on their benefits on gut microbiota and human health. Thus, the yogurtphyto-enrichment with stanol and ß-glucan have opened new paths in functional food industries and found healthy andeffective alternatives for HC all along with conventional treatment approaches.

Insights into the beneficial roles of dark septate endophytes in plants under challenging environment: resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Dark septate endophytes (DSE) exert a plethora of effects in regulating plant growth, signalling and stress tolerance. The advent of metagenomics has led to the identification of various species of DSE to be associated with plant organs. They are known to modulate growth, nutrient uptake, phytohormone biosynthesis and production of active bioconstituents in several plants. The interactions between the DSE and host plants are mostly mutualistic but they can also be neutral or exhibit negative interactions. The DSE has beneficial role in removal/sequestration of toxic heavy metals from various environmental sites. Here, we discuss the beneficial role of DSE in enhancing plant tolerance to heavy metal stress, drought conditions, high salinity and protection from various plant pathogens. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism of stress resilience facilitated by DSE-plant interaction has also been discussed. The article also provides insights to some important future perspectives associated with DSE-mediated phytoremediation and reclamation of polluted land worldwide thus facilitating sustainable agriculture.

Differential regulation of drought stress by biological membrane transporters and channels.

Stress arising due to abiotic factors affects the plant's growth and productivity. Among several existing abiotic stressors like cold, drought, heat, salinity, heavy metal, etc., drought condition tends to affect the plant's growth by inducing two-point effect, i.e., it disturbs the water balance as well as induces toxicity by disturbing the ion homeostasis, thus hindering the growth and productivity of plants, and to survive under this condition, plants have evolved several transportation systems that are involved in regulating the drought stress. The role of membrane transporters has gained interest since genetic engineering came into existence, and they were found to be the important modulators for tolerance, avoidance, ion movements, stomatal movements, etc. Here in this comprehensive review, we have discussed the role of transporters (ABA, protein, carbohydrates, etc.) and channels that aids in withstanding the drought stress as well as the regulatory role of transporters involved in osmotic adjustments arising due to drought stress. This review also provides a gist of hydraulic conductivity by roots that are involved in regulating the drought stress.

Applications of Fruit Polyphenols and Their Functionalized Nanoparticles Against Foodborne Bacteria: A Mini Review.

The ingestion of contaminated water and food is known to cause food illness. Moreover, on assessing the patients suffering from foodborne disease has revealed the role of microbes in such diseases. Concerning which different methods have been developed for protecting food from microbes, the treatment of food with chemicals has been reported to exhibit an unwanted organoleptic effect while also affecting the nutritional value of food. Owing to these challenges, the demand for natural food preservatives has substantially increased. Therefore, the interest of researchers and food industries has shifted towards fruit polyphenols as potent inhibitors of foodborne bacteria. Recently, numerous fruit polyphenols have been acclaimed for their ability to avert toxin production and biofilm formation. Furthermore, various studies have recommended using fruit polyphenols solely or in combination with chemical disinfectants and food preservatives. Currently, different nanoparticles have been synthesized using fruit polyphenols to curb the growth of pathogenic microbes. Hence, this review intends to summarize the current knowledge about fruit polyphenols as antibacterial agents against foodborne pathogens. Additionally, the application of different fruit extracts in synthesizing functionalized nanoparticles has also been discussed.

Conifers Phytochemicals: A Valuable Forest with Therapeutic Potential.

Conifers have long been recognized for their therapeutic potential in different disorders. Alkaloids, terpenes and polyphenols are the most abundant naturally occurring phytochemicals in these plants. Here, we provide an overview of the phytochemistry and related commercial products obtained from conifers. The pharmacological actions of different phytochemicals present in conifers against bacterial and fungal infections, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are also reviewed. Data obtained from experimental and clinical studies performed to date clearly underline that such compounds exert promising antioxidant effects, being able to inhibit cell damage, cancer growth, inflammation and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, an attempt has been made with the intent to highlight the importance of conifer-derived extracts for pharmacological purposes, with the support of relevant in vitro and in vivo experimental data. In short, this review comprehends the information published to date related to conifers' phytochemicals and illustrates their potential role as drugs.

Detection and disinfection of COVID-19 virus in wastewater.

The coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, appears as a major pandemic having adverse impact on public health and economic activities. Since viral replication in human enterocytes results in its faecal shedding, wastewater surveillance is an ideal, non-invasive, cost-effective and an early warning epidemiological approach to detect the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we review techniques for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in municipal wastewater, and disinfectants used to control viral spread. For detection, concentration of ribonucleic acid involves ultrafiltration, ultracentrifugation and polyethylene glycol precipitation. Identification is done by reverse transcriptase amplification, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, helicase dependent amplification, loop-mediated isothermal amplification, recombinase polymerase amplification, high throughput screening and biosensor assays. Disinfectants include ultraviolet radiations, ozone, chlorine dioxide, hypochlorites and hydrogen peroxide. Wastewater surveillance data indicates viral presence within longer detection window, and provides transmission dynamics earlier than classical methods. This is particularly relevant for pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases.

Revealing on hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide signals co-ordination for plant growth under stress conditions.

In the recent times, plants are facing certain types of environmental stresses, which give rise to formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxides, superoxide anions and so on. These are required by the plants at low concentrations for signal transduction and at high concentrations, they repress plant root growth. Apart from the ROS activities, hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) and nitric oxide (NO) have major contributions in regulating growth and developmental processes in plants, as they also play key roles as signaling molecules and act as chief plant immune defense mechanisms against various biotic as well as abiotic stresses. H2 S and NO are the two pivotal gaseous messengers involved in growth, germination and improved tolerance in plants under stressed and non-stress conditions. H2 S and NO mediate cell signaling in plants as a response to several abiotic stresses like temperature, heavy metal exposure, water and salinity. They alter gene expression levels to induce the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes, osmolytes and also trigger their interactions with each other. However, research has been limited to only cross adaptations and signal transductions. Understanding the change and mechanism of H2 S and NO mediated cell signaling will broaden our knowledge on the various biochemical changes that occur in plant cells related to different stresses. A clear understanding of these molecules in various environmental stresses would help to confer biotechnological applications to protect plants against abiotic stresses and to improve crop productivity.

Conifer-Derived Metallic Nanoparticles: Green Synthesis and Biological Applications.

The use of metallic nanoparticles in engineering and biomedicine disciplines has gained considerable attention. Scientists are exploring new synthesis protocols of these substances considering their small size and lucrative antimicrobial potential. Among the most economical techniques of synthesis of metallic nanoparticles via chemical routes, which includes the use of chemicals as metal reducing agents, is considered to generate nanoparticles possessing toxicity and biological risk. This limitation of chemically synthesized nanoparticles has engendered the exploration for the ecofriendly synthesis process. Biological or green synthesis approaches have emerged as an effective solution to address the limitations of conventionally synthesized nanoparticles. Nanoparticles synthesized via biological entities obtained from plant extracts exhibit superior effect in comparison to chemical methods. Recently, conifer extracts have been found to be effective in synthesizing metallic nanoparticles through a highly regulated process. The current review highlights the importance of conifers and its extracts in synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. It also discusses the different applications of the conifer extract mediated metallic nanoparticles.

Fruit Extract Mediated Green Synthesis of Metallic Nanoparticles: A New Avenue in Pomology Applications.

Fruit extracts have natural bioactive molecules that are known to possess significant therapeutic potential. Traditionally, metallic nanoparticles were synthesized via chemical methods, in which the chemical act as the reducing agent. Later, these traditional metallic nanoparticles emerged as the biological risk, which prompted researchers to explore an eco-friendly approach. There are different eco-friendly methods employed for synthesizing these metallic nanoparticles via the usage of microbes and plants, primarily via fruit extract. These explorations have paved the way for using fruit extracts for developing nanoparticles, as they eliminate the usage of reducing and stabilizing agents. Metallic nanoparticles have gained significant attention, and are used for diverse biological applications. The present review discusses the potential activities of phytochemicals, and it intends to summarize the different metallic nanoparticles synthesized using fruit extracts and their associated pharmacological activities like anti-cancerous, antimicrobial, antioxidant and catalytic efficiency.

Fruit and Vegetable Peels: Utilization of High Value Horticultural Waste in Novel Industrial Applications.

Fruits and vegetables are the highly used food products amongst the horticultural crops. These items are consumed uncooked, nominally cooked or fully cooked, according to their nature and cooking process. With the change in diet habits and rising population, the production, as well as the processing of horticultural crops, has exponentially improved to meet its increasing demand. A large amount of peel waste is generated from fruit and vegetable-based industries and household kitchen and has led to a big nutritional and economic loss and environmental problems. Processing of fruits and vegetables alone generates a significant waste, which amounts to 25-30% of the total product. Most common wastes include pomace, peels, rind and seeds, which are highly rich in valuable bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, enzymes, polyphenols, oils, vitamins and many other compounds. These bioactive compounds show their application in various industries such as food to develop edible films, food industries for probiotics and other industries for valuable products. The utilization of these low-cost waste horticultural wastes for producing the value-added product is a novel step in its sustainable utilization. The present review intends to summarize the different types of waste originating from fruits as well as vegetables peels and highlight their potential in developing edible films, probiotics, nanoparticles, carbon dots, microbial media, biochar and biosorbents.

Hepatoprotective effects of fruits pulp, seed, and peel against chemical-induced toxicity: Insights from in vivo studies.

The liver is a vital organ in human physiology positioned in the upper right quadrant of the peritoneal cavity, which plats a critical role in metabolic processes, detoxification of various substances and overall homeostasis. Along with these critical functions, hepatic diseases impose as significant global health threat. Liver illness is the cause of two million fatalities every year, or 4% of all deaths. Traditionally, healthcare providers have prescribed antibacterial and antiviral medications to address liver illness. Nephrotoxicity is a frequently observed negative reaction to drugs, with the majority of such events happening in individuals who have advanced cirrhosis. Thus, recognizing this gap, there is a dire need of exploration of pharmaceutical alterative for hepatic diseases, with special focus on their efficacy and reduced toxicity. Fruits have long been known to therapeutic impact on human health, thus exploration of fruits components namely pulp, seeds and peels containing phytochemicals have emerged as a promising avenue for hepatoprotective interventions. Thus, review comprehends the information about worldwide burden of chemical induced toxicity and injuries as well as highlight the on-going challenges in hepatic disease management. It also shed light on the valuable contributions fruit parts and their phytocompounds obtained from different components of fruits. Fruit pulp, especially when rich in flavonoids, has demonstrated significant potential in animal model studies. It has been observed to enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes and reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory markers. The methanolic and ethanolic extracts have demonstrated the most favorable outcomes. Further, this review also discusses about the safety assessments of fruits extracts for their utilization as hepatoprotective agents.

Selected fruit pomaces: Nutritional profile, health benefits, and applications in functional foods and feeds.

The utmost objective of every nation is to achieve zero hunger and ensure the health and well-being of its population. However, in impoverished nations, particularly in rural areas, such issues persist on a daily basis. Currently, there is a growing demand for fruit consumption due to their potential health benefits. Surprisingly, their most prevalent by-product is pomace, which is produced in millions of tonnes and is usually discarded as waste after processing or consumption. Even food produced with these kinds of raw resources can contribute to the objective of eradicating world hunger. Owing to these advantages, scientists have begun evaluating the nutritional content of various fruit pomace varieties as well as the chemical composition in different bioactive constituents, which have significant health benefits and can be used to formulate a variety of food products with notable nutraceutical and functional potential. So, the purpose of this review is to understand the existing familiarity of nutritional and phytochemical composition of selected fruit pomaces, those derived from pineapple, orange, grape, apple, and tomato. Furthermore, this article covers pre-clinical and clinical investigations conducted on the selected fruit pomace extracts and/or powder forms and its incorporation into food products and animal feed. Adding fruit pomaces reduces the glycemic index, increases the fibre content and total polyphenolic contents, and reduces the cooking loss, etc. In animal feeds, incorporating fruit pomaces improves the antioxidant enzyme activities, humoral immune system, and growth performance and reduces methane emission.

Metagenomics in the fight against zoonotic viral infections: A focus on SARS-CoV-2 analogues.

Zoonotic viral infections continue to pose significant threats to global public health, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 served as a stark reminder of the potential for zoonotic transmission of viruses from animals to humans. Understanding the origins and dynamics of zoonotic viruses is critical for early detection, prevention, and effective management of future outbreaks. Metagenomics has emerged as a powerful tool for investigating the virome of diverse ecosystems, shedding light on the diversity of viral populations, their hosts, and potential zoonotic spillover events. We provide an in-depth examination of metagenomic approaches, including, NGS metagenomics, shotgun metagenomics, viral metagenomics, and single-virus metagenomics, highlighting their strengths and limitations in identifying and characterizing zoonotic viral pathogens. This review underscores the pivotal role of metagenomics in enhancing our ability to detect, monitor, and mitigate zoonotic viral infections, using SARS-CoV-2 analogues as a case study. We emphasize the need for continued interdisciplinary collaboration among virologists, ecologists, and bioinformaticians to harness the full potential of metagenomic approaches in safeguarding public health against emerging zoonotic threats.

Valorization of non-edible fruit seeds into valuable products: A sustainable approach towards circular bioeconomy.

Global imperatives have recently shown a paradigm shift in the prevailing resource utilization model from a linear approach to a circular bioeconomy. The primary goal of the circular bioeconomy model is to minimize waste by effective re-usage of organic waste and efficient nutrient recycling. In essence, circular bioeconomy integrates the fundamental concept of circular economy, which strives to offer sustainable goods and services by leveraging biological resources and processes. Notably, the circular bioeconomy differs from conventional waste recycling by prioritizing the safeguarding and restoration of production ecosystems, focusing on harnessing renewable biological resources and their associated waste streams to produce value-added products like food, animal feed, and bioenergy. Amidst these sustainability efforts, fruit seeds are getting considerable attention, which were previously overlooked and commonly discarded but were known to comprise diverse chemicals with significant industrial applications, not limited to cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. While, polyphenols in these seeds offer extensive health benefits, the inadequate conversion of fruit waste into valuable products poses substantial environmental challenges and resource wastage. This review aims to comprehend the known information about the application of non-edible fruit seeds for synthesising metallic nanoparticles, carbon dots, biochar, biosorbent, and biodiesel. Further, this review sheds light on the potential use of these seeds as functional foods and feed ingredients; it also comprehends the safety aspects associated with their utilization. Overall, this review aims to provide a roadmap for harnessing the potential of non-edible fruit seeds by adhering to the principles of a sustainable circular bioeconomy.

Chemoprofiling and medicinal potential of underutilized leaves of Cyperus scariosus.

Agro-waste is the outcome of the under-utilization of bioresources and a lack of knowledge to re-use this waste in proper ways or a circular economy approach. In the Indian medicinal system, the root of Cyperus scariosus (CS) is used at a large scale due to their vital medicinal properties. Unfortunately, the aerial part of CS is treated as agro-waste and is an under-utilized bioresource. Due to a lack of knowledge, CS is treated as a weed. This present study is the first ever attempt to explore CS leaves as medicinally and a nutrient rich source. To determine the food and nutritional values of the neglected part of Cyperus scariosus R.Br. (CS), i.e. CS leaves, phytochemicals and metal ions of CS were quantified by newly developed HPLC and ICPOES-based methods. The content of the phytochemicals observed in HPLC analysis for caffeic acid, catechin, epicatechin, trans-p-coumaric acid, and trans-ferulic acid was 10.51, 276.15, 279.09, 70.53, and 36.83 µg/g, respectively. In GC-MS/MS analysis, fatty acids including linolenic acid, phytol, palmitic acid, etc. were identified. In ICPOES analysis, the significant content of Na, K, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, and Zn was observed. The TPC and TFC of the CS leaves was 17.933 mg GAE eq./g and 130.767 mg QCE eq./g along with an IC50 value of 2.78 mg/mL in the DPPH assay and better antacid activity was measured than the standard (CaCO3). The methanolic extract of CS leaves showed anti-microbial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (15 ± 2 mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12 ± 2 mm) and Escherichia coli (10 ± 2 mm). In silico studies confirmed the in vitro results obtained from the antioxidant, antiacid, and anti-microbial studies. In addition, in silico studies revealed the anti-cancerous and anti-inflammatory potential of the CS leaves. This study, thus, demonstrated the medicinal significance of the under-utilized part of CS and the conversion of agro-waste into mankind activity as a pharmaceutical potent material. Consequently, the present study highlighted that CS leaves have medicinal importance with good nutritional utility and have a large potential in the pharmaceutical industry along with improving bio-valorization and the environment.

Advances in Genetic Reprogramming: Prospects from Developmental Biology to Regenerative Medicine.

The foundations of cell reprogramming were laid by Yamanaka and co-workers, who showed that somatic cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent cells (induced pluripotency). Since this discovery, the field of regenerative medicine has seen advancements. For example, because they can differentiate into multiple cell types, pluripotent stem cells are considered vital components in regenerative medicine aimed at the functional restoration of damaged tissue. Despite years of research, both replacement and restoration of failed organs/tissues have remained elusive scientific feats. However, with the inception of cell engineering and nuclear reprogramming, useful solutions have been identified to counter the need for compatible and sustainable organs. By combining the science underlying genetic engineering and nuclear reprogramming with regenerative medicine, scientists have engineered cells to make gene and stem cell therapies applicable and effective. These approaches have enabled the targeting of various pathways to reprogramme cells, i.e., make them behave in beneficial ways in a patient-specific manner. Technological advancements have clearly supported the concept and realization of regenerative medicine. Genetic engineering is used for tissue engineering and nuclear reprogramming and has led to advances in regenerative medicine. Targeted therapies and replacement of traumatized, damaged, or aged organs can be realized through genetic engineering. Furthermore, the success of these therapies has been validated through thousands of clinical trials. Scientists are currently evaluating induced tissue-specific stem cells (iTSCs), which may lead to tumour-free applications of pluripotency induction. In this review, we present state-of-the-art genetic engineering that has been used in regenerative medicine. We also focus on ways that genetic engineering and nuclear reprogramming have transformed regenerative medicine and have become unique therapeutic niches.