Hou, P. et al. Science doi:10.1126/science.1239278 (18 July 2013).

Reprogramming of somatic cells to induced pluripotency has thus far been achieved by the forced expression of one or more transcription factors. Hou et al. have now identified conditions in which mouse somatic cells of embryonic, neonatal and adult origin can be reprogrammed to pluripotency using small molecules alone. The researchers identified an effective cocktail by screening chemical collections for molecules that could bypass the requirement for exogenous Oct4 both early and late in the reprogramming process. The resulting cells resemble embryonic stem cells and conventional induced pluripotent stem cells with respect to several molecular markers, and contribute to all germ layers of chimeric mice, including the germ line.