Induction of pluripotency: from mouse to human.
In this issue of Cell, Takahashi et al. (2007) transfer their seminal work on somatic cell reprogramming from the mouse to human. By overexpressing the transcription factor quartet of Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc in adult human fibroblasts, they successfully isolate human pluripotent stem cells that resemble human embryonic stem cells by all measured criteria. This is a significant turning point in nuclear reprogramming research with broad implications for generating patient-specific pluripotent stem cells for research and therapeutic applications.
Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Münster, NRW 48149, Germany.
Holm
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Zaehres
Hans R
HR
Schöler
D000818:Animals; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000502:physiology; D024002:HMGB Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D024002:HMGB Proteins; C000715467:KLF4 protein, human; C000715468:Klf4 protein, mouse; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C527782:SOX2 protein, human; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; C527783:Sox2 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors