Successful reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells 
(iPSCs) has ushered in a new era of regenerative medicine. Several studies on 
iPSCs have corroborated their immense promise and potential for use in cell 
therapy and disease modeling. However, several shortcomings need to be overcome 
before they can be used in clinical therapy. Investigation of iPSC fate and 
physiology in vivo and ultimately, the feasibility of their application in cell 
transplantation therapy, requires more in-depth studies in living subjects. One 
recently established alternative approach to reprogramming involves the direct 
conversion of a terminally differentiated somatic cell of one type into another, 
without dedifferentiating into a pluripotent state. This direct lineage 
reprogramming strategy is significantly faster, has the potential to generate an 
enriched population of a specific subtype of cells, and hence, has wide 
implications in regenerative cell therapy. Here, we review recent advances in 
iPSC technology and summarize the research on the generation of patient-specific 
induced cell types using direct lineage conversion. Specifically, we focus on 
the scope of application of this approach in autologous cell replacement therapy 
for diabetic wound treatment.