Induced pluripotent stem cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a type of pluripotent stem cell that can be generated directly from adult cells. The iPSC technology was pioneered by Shinya Yamanaka’s lab in Kyoto University, Japan, who showed in 2006 that the introduction of four specific genes encoding transcription factors could convert adult cells into pluripotent stem cells. He was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize along with Sir John Gurdon "for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent."

Generation of iPSCs

iPSCs are typically derived by introducing products of specific sets of pluripotency-associated genes, or "reprogramming factors", into a given cell type. The original set of reprogramming factors (also known as Yamanaka factors) are the transcription factors Oct4 (Pou5f1), Sox2, cMyc, and Klf4. While these factors are commonly used, these are not the only factors that can create iPSCs.

Characteristics

iPSCs are identical to natural pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in many respects, such as the expression of certain stem cell genes and proteins, chromatin methylation patterns, doubling time, embryoid body formation, teratoma formation, viable chimera formation, potency and differentiability, but the full extent of their sameness remains uncertain.

Applications

iPSCs can be used in many areas such as disease modeling, drug discovery and regenerative medicine. They are particularly important in regenerative medicine as they can be derived directly from the patient, bypassing the need for donors and reducing the risk of an immune response.

See also

• Stem cell treatments
• Regenerative medicine
• Cellular differentiation
• Cell potency