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Epigenetic factors influencing resistance to nuclear reprogramming
Vincent Pasque1, Jerome Jullien, Kei Miyamoto
1Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, The Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK.
Trends in Genetics : TIG
|September 24, 2011
Summary
Patient-specific cell reprogramming offers significant medical potential for disease modeling and regenerative medicine. Understanding factors limiting reprogramming efficiency is key to advancing these applications.
Area of Science:
- Cellular reprogramming
- Epigenetics
- Regenerative medicine
Background:
- Patient-specific somatic cell reprogramming is crucial for disease modeling and regenerative medicine.
- Current reprogramming strategies face low efficiency due to the stability of differentiated cell states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review factors influencing somatic cell reprogramming efficiency.
- To understand limitations imposed by epigenetic mechanisms on nuclear reprogramming.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on somatic cell reprogramming.
- Analysis of epigenetic mechanisms that stabilize gene expression in somatic cells.
Main Results:
- Reprogramming efficiency is significantly impacted by epigenetic factors that maintain differentiated states.
- Transcription factors, chromatin modifications, and noncoding RNAs can enhance reprogramming.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic mechanisms are primary barriers to efficient nuclear reprogramming.
- Further understanding of these barriers is essential for optimizing cell reprogramming for medical applications.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
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.
01:14Introduction to Nuclear Reprogramming
Nuclear reprogramming is the process of switching gene expression of one cell type to that of another cell type, usually from a differentiated cell state to an undifferentiated cell state. Differentiation occurs during processes such as development and morphogenesis, tissue regeneration, and malignancy. Cells can also be artificially induced to reprogram their gene expression by techniques such as nuclear transfer, induced pluripotency, and cell fusion. Such techniques have many applications in...
01:37Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
X-chromosome...
01:46Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
01:46Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
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...