Reprogramming adult hematopoietic cells.
OBJECTIVE
Recent advances in molecular biology research have culminated in development of technologies to generate pluripotent stem cells from somatic cells. In addition to skin fibroblasts, hematopoietic cells also have been shown to be amenable to reprogramming to pluripotency. The present review discusses the relevance of these findings to basic researches and regenerative medicine, and how researchers can take advantage of hematopoietic cell reprogramming technologies.


RESULTS
In 2006, Yamanaka and his colleagues published their amazing observation that murine somatic cells can be reprogrammed to the embryonic stem cell-like state simply by retroviral-mediated introduction of three or four defined factors. Soon after, human cells also were shown to be amenable to similar reprogramming. Generation of induced pluripotent cells from several types of hematopoietic cells of both murine and human origins now has been reported.


CONCLUSIONS
Reprogramming adult hematopoietic cells will provide opportunities to obtain valuable materials with minimum risk and burden to patients. Reprogrammed cells can be used in research to elucidate disease mechanisms and in drug or toxicity screening. In clinical settings, patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells may be used to generate mature functional cells for various therapies.
Kaneko
Shin
S
Division of Stem Cell Therapy, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Otsu
Makoto
M
Nakauchi
Hiromitsu
H
D000328:Adult; D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques / Q000639:trends; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice