Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
10:52
Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Frozen Buffy Coats using Non-integrating Episomal Plasmids
Published on: June 5, 2015
New strategies to generate induced pluripotent stem cells
James O'Malley1, Knut Woltjen, Keisuke Kaji
1MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ, UK.
Current Opinion in Biotechnology
|October 20, 2009
Summary
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer revolutionary medical potential. This review details advanced methods for creating genetically unmodified or factor-free iPSCs for therapies and research.
Area of Science:
- Stem Cell Biology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Direct reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is a rapidly advancing field.
- Patient-derived iPSCs hold significant promise for disease modeling, drug screening, and autologous cell therapies.
- The initial method involved retroviral transduction of transcription factors, reported in 2006.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evolving strategies for generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
- To focus on methods that produce genetically unmodified or reprogramming factor-free iPSCs.
- To highlight advancements in reprogramming technology.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) generation techniques.
- Analysis of strategies for genetic modification and reprogramming factor-free methods.
- Focus on advancements since the initial Takahashi and Yamanaka report.
Main Results:
- Development of diverse methods to refine and improve iPSC generation.
- Emergence of techniques for creating genetically unmodified iPSCs.
- Progress in generating iPSCs without the need for reprogramming factors.
Conclusions:
- Reprogramming technology is continuously evolving with new strategies.
- Genetically unmodified and factor-free iPSCs are key advancements for clinical applications.
- The potential of iPSCs in revolutionizing medicine is increasingly realized through improved generation methods.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different types of cells. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are post-mitotic—that is, they no longer divide. However, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they “de-differentiate” and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are also pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are therefore called induced pluripotent stem...
01:06Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic cells are...
Somatic cells are...
01:13Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different types of cells. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are post-mitotic—that is, they no longer divide. However, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they “de-differentiate” and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are also pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are therefore called induced pluripotent stem...
01:22iPS Cell Differentiation
The ability of induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs to differentiate into most body cell types has stimulated repair and regenerative medicine research over the past few decades. iPSC-derived blood cells, hepatocytes, beta islet cells, cardiomyocytes, neurons, and other cell types can repair injuries or regenerate damaged tissue in diseases such as diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders.
01:21EPS and iPS Cells in Disease Research
Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells are excellent models for disease research because of their ability to self-renew and differentiate into most cell types. Somatic cells from a patient are isolated and reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs. These iPSCs are later differentiated into the desired cell type, which mirrors the diseased cell of the patient. In this way, disease models have been created for investigating diseases such as Down syndrome, type I diabetes,...
01:29Somatic 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...