title: Perspective for special Gurdon issue for differentiation: can cell fusion inform nuclear reprogramming?
abstract: Nuclear reprogramming was first shown to be possible by Sir John Gurdon over a half century ago. The process has been revolutionized by the production of induced pluripotent cells by overexpression of the four transcription factors discovered by Shinya Yamanaka, which now enables mammalian applications. Yet, reprogramming by a few transcription factors remains incomplete and inefficient, whether to pluripotent or differentiated cells. We propose that a better understanding of mechanistic insights based on developmental principles gained from heterokaryon studies may inform the process of directing cell fate, fundamentally and clinically.
authors.affiliation: Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Helen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Blau
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002459:Cell Fusion; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century
keywords: Cell fate changes; Cell fusion; Heterokaryons; Nuclear reprogramming