Direct reprogramming of genetically unmodified fibroblasts into pluripotent stem cells

Nat Biotechnol. 2007 Oct;25(10):1177-81. doi: 10.1038/nbt1335. Epub 2007 Aug 27.

Abstract

In vitro reprogramming of somatic cells into a pluripotent embryonic stem cell-like state has been achieved through retroviral transduction of murine fibroblasts with Oct4, Sox2, c-myc and Klf4. In these experiments, the rare 'induced pluripotent stem' (iPS) cells were isolated by stringent selection for activation of a neomycin-resistance gene inserted into the endogenous Oct4 (also known as Pou5f1) or Nanog loci. Direct isolation of pluripotent cells from cultured somatic cells is of potential therapeutic interest, but translation to human systems would be hindered by the requirement for transgenic donors in the present iPS isolation protocol. Here we demonstrate that reprogrammed pluripotent cells can be isolated from genetically unmodified somatic donor cells solely based upon morphological criteria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biotechnology / methods*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Lineage
  • Cells, Cultured
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Female
  • Fibroblasts / cytology*
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism*
  • Kruppel-Like Factor 4
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / genetics
  • Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / metabolism
  • Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / metabolism
  • SOXB1 Transcription Factors
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism
  • Transduction, Genetic

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • KLF4 protein, human
  • Klf4 protein, mouse
  • Kruppel-Like Factor 4
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
  • Myc protein, mouse
  • Octamer Transcription Factor-3
  • Pou5f1 protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • SOX2 protein, human
  • SOXB1 Transcription Factors
  • Sox2 protein, mouse
  • Trans-Activators