Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026

Kinetic Measurement and Real Time Visualization of Somatic Reprogramming
Published on: July 30, 2016
Identification of spectral modifications occurring during reprogramming of somatic cells
Christophe Sandt1, Olivier Féraud, Noufissa Oudrhiri
1SOLEIL Synchrotron, Saint Aubin, Gif sur Yvette, France.
Abstract:
Recent technological advances in cell reprogramming by generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) offer major perspectives in disease modelling and future hopes for providing novel stem cells sources in regenerative medicine. However, research on iPSC still requires refining the criteria of the pluripotency stage of these cells and exploration of their equivalent functionality to human embryonic stem cells (ESC). We report here on the use of infrared microspectroscopy to follow the spectral modification of somatic cells during the reprogramming process. We show that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) adopt a chemical composition leading to a spectral signature indistinguishable from that of embryonic stem cells (ESC) and entirely different from that of the original somatic cells. Similarly, this technique allows a distinction to be made between partially and fully reprogrammed cells. We conclude that infrared microspectroscopy signature is a novel methodology to evaluate induced pluripotency and can be added to the tests currently used for this purpose.
Related Concept Videos
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Introduction to Nuclear Reprogramming
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
Forced Transdifferentiation
Artificial transdifferentiation occurs...
