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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
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RNA-based Reprogramming of Human Primary Fibroblasts into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: November 26, 2018
Two factor reprogramming of human neural stem cells into pluripotency.
Mark E Hester1, Sungwon Song, Carlos J Miranda
1The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Plos One
|September 19, 2009
Summary
Human neural stem cells (NSCs) can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) using just two factors. These iPS cells are indistinguishable from human embryonic stem cells and can differentiate into all three germ layers.
Area of Science:
- Stem cell biology
- Cellular reprogramming
- Regenerative medicine
Background:
- Reprogramming somatic cells to pluripotency is crucial for disease modeling and patient-specific stem cell generation.
- Mouse neural stem cells (NSCs) can be reprogrammed using Oct3/4 and Klf4, but this was unproven in human NSCs.
- Human NSCs could yield more relevant pluripotent stem cells for disease modeling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if human NSCs can be reprogrammed into a pluripotent state using Oct3/4 and Klf4.
- To determine if the induced pluripotent stem cells are comparable to human embryonic stem cells.
- To assess the differentiation potential of human NSC-derived pluripotent stem cells.
Main Methods:
- Forced expression of OCT3/4 and KLF4 in human neural stem cells.
- Characterization of reprogrammed cells for pluripotency markers.
- Assessment of differentiation potential in vitro and in vivo.
Main Results:
- OCT3/4 and KLF4 are sufficient to induce pluripotency in human NSCs within two weeks.
- Human NSC-derived pluripotent stem cells are molecularly indistinguishable from human embryonic stem cells.
- These cells can differentiate into all three germ lineages both in vitro and in vivo.
Conclusions:
- Human NSCs are a viable source for generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells).
- This two-factor reprogramming strategy obviates the need for c-MYC, simplifying the process.
- The derived iPS cells can be used to create in vitro human disease models.
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