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Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...
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Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.
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Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
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Embryonic Stem Cells
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Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026

13:03
Epigenetic Regulation of Cardiac Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells and Tissues
Published on: June 3, 2016
Stem cell epigenetics: is it all downhill from here?
1LMB/NINDS, Bethesda, MD 20892-4157, USA.
Cell Stem Cell
|March 29, 2008
Summary
Bmi-1 is crucial for neural stem cell development, with its function increasingly required as development progresses. This study surprisingly links Bmi-1 to the regulation of the cell-cycle inhibitor p21.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Neural stem cells (NSCs) are critical for brain development.
- The polycomb group gene Bmi-1 plays a role in stem cell maintenance and self-renewal.
- Understanding Bmi-1's function in NSCs is essential for comprehending neural development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Bmi-1 in neural stem cells.
- To examine Bmi-1 function both in vitro and in vivo during neural development.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying Bmi-1's involvement in NSC regulation.
Main Methods:
- In vitro culture of neural stem cells.
- In vivo studies using animal models.
- Analysis of Bmi-1 expression and function during development.
- Investigation of cell-cycle regulation pathways.
Main Results:
- Bmi-1 function shows a progressively increasing requirement in stem cells throughout development.
- Bmi-1 plays a significant role in regulating neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation.
- The study surprisingly identified a link between Bmi-1 and the cell-cycle inhibitor p21.
Conclusions:
- Bmi-1 is indispensable for proper neural stem cell function and development.
- The requirement for Bmi-1 intensifies during later stages of neural development.
- Bmi-1 may regulate neural stem cell fate through modulation of cell-cycle inhibitors like p21.

