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Induced pluripotent stem cells and reprogramming: seeing the science through the hype

Nature Reviews Genetics volume 10, pages 878–883 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

No-one can have failed to notice the splash that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have made in the few years since somatic cells were first reprogrammed to pluripotency. But what is their real promise, where should research efforts be focused, and are we at a stage where we can replace embryonic stem cells? Four pioneering iPS cell researchers offer their personal insights into these and other questions of current debate. As well expressing hope for the improved understanding and treatment of human disease, they urge caution over safety and propose the establishment of iPS cell banks.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte is at the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona, Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; and The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 93027, USA. belmonte@salk.edu; izpisua@cmrb.eu,

    Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte

  2. and The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 93027, USA. belmonte@salk.edu,

    Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte

  3. James Ellis is at the The Hospital for Sick Children and the Ontario Human iPS Cell Facility, TMDT Tower, MaRS Centre,101 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada. jellis@sickkids.ca,

    James Ellis

  4. Konrad Hochedlinger is at the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, 42 Church Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA; and the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. khochedlinger@helix.mgh.harvard.ed,

    Konrad Hochedlinger

  5. and the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. khochedlinger@helix.mgh.harvard.ed,

    Konrad Hochedlinger

  6. c/o Department of Stem Cell Biology, Shinya Yamanaka Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. yamanaka@frontier.kyoto-u.ac.jp,

    Shinya Yamanaka

Authors
  1. Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte
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  2. James Ellis
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  3. Konrad Hochedlinger
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  4. Shinya Yamanaka
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Competing interests

Konrad Hochedlinger is a member of the scientific advisory board of iPierian.

Related links

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FURTHER INFORMATION

Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte's homepages

Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte's homepages

James Ellis's homepage

Konrad Hochedlinger's homepage

Shinya Yamanaka's homepage

Sheng Ding's laboratory

Kevin Eggan's laboratory

Fred Gage's laboratory

Douglas Melton's laboratory

Lorenz Studer's laboratory

Glossary

Bivalent histone modification

The co-occurrence of histone tail methylation marks that are associated with transcriptional activation and repression. Bivalency is observed in mammalian embryonic stem cells at developmentally important genes.

DNA methylome

The pattern of DNA methylation across the genome. Many DNA methylation marks are set up during early mammalian development and are erased in the germ line.

Neurosphere

A cluster of neurogenic cells that is generated from a single neural stem cell or progenitor cell when it is cultured in a semi-solid medium that contains appropriate neurotrophic growth factors.

p53

A transcription factor encoded by TP53 that is known to be a tumour suppressor and to be involved in the regulation of many cellular pathways, including the cell cycle.

Reprogramming factors

Transcription factors that enable reprogramming to pluripotency when expressed together in adult somatic cells. The four factors originally used were OCT4, SOX2, Krüppel-like factor 4 and MYC.

Teratoma

A tumour consisting of several cell types.

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Belmonte, J., Ellis, J., Hochedlinger, K. et al. Induced pluripotent stem cells and reprogramming: seeing the science through the hype. Nat Rev Genet 10, 878–883 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg2700

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