Induced pluripotent stem cells

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Introduction

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are a class of stem cells that are artificially derived from differentiated embryonic or adult tissues. Therapeutically, iPS cells hold the potential to be used to treat a patient with their own cells (i.e. bone marrow transplant, spinal cord injury repair).

Multiple strategies to generate iPS cells are being developed.

  • Somatic cell nuclear transfer
  • Embryonic stem cell fusion
  • Nuclear reprogramming

Nuclear reprogramming

Based on previous studies, one research group set out to determine which genes are required to be expressed in order to generate/maintain embryonic stem cells.1 In a series of experiments it was determined that 4 factors are required to cause mouse fibroblasts to "dedifferentiate" into a stem-cell like state.

  • Sox2
  • Klf4
  • Oct3/4
  • c-myc

References

1. Takahashi K, Yamanaka S. Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors. Cell. 2006 Aug 25;126(4):663-76. Epub 2006 Aug 10. PMID: 16904174 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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