Through the ectopic expression of four transcription factors, Oct4, Klf4, Sox2 and cMyc, human somatic cells can be converted to a pluripotent state, generating so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) (Lowry et al., 2008; Park et al., 2008; Takahashi et al., 2007; Yu et al., 2007). Patient-specific iPSCs lack the ethical concerns that surround embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and would bypass possible immune rejection. Thus, iPSCs have attracted considerable attention for disease modeling studies, the screening of pharmacological compounds, and regenerative therapies (Stadtfeld and Hochedlinger, 2010).
Copyright: © 2013 Andreia Gianotti-Sommer, Sarah S. Rozelle, Spencer Sullivan, Jason A. Mills, Seon-Mi Park, Brenden W. Smith, Amulya M. Iyer, Deborah L. French, Darrell N. Kotton, Paul Gadue, George J. Murphy, Gustavo Mostoslavsky.