Current concepts in reprogramming somatic cells to pluripotent state.
Recently considerable interests have been roused in nuclear reprogramming by somatic cell nuclear transfer using an egg cytoplasm and/or by other means, such as fusion, cell extracts treatment and genes transfections. However, the very mechanism of reprogramming still remains elusive. Epigenetic modifications, which play a significant role in normal mammalian development in vivo is also involved in the process of reprogramming in vitro. The latter shares some of the other features observed in nuclear reprogramming in vivo. In this review, we discuss the main epigenetic changes involved in nuclear reprogramming and currently available approaches to achieve nuclear reprogramming in vitro and its future prospects.
Han
Jin
J
Stem Cell Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Randwick, 2031, NSW, Australia.
Sidhu
Kuldip S
KS
D000818:Animals; D002459:Cell Fusion / Q000379:methods; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming / Q000502:physiology*; D019976:Cloning, Organism; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*