Which transcription factors can reprogram adult cells into induced pluripotent stem cells?

In the field of regenerative medicine, the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) involves reprogramming mature adult cells into a pluripotent state by introducing specific regulatory genes.123

The transcription factors of primary importance for inducing and maintaining this primitive, pluripotent state are:

• Oct-4 (octamer 4)
• Sox-2 (sex-determining region Y box 2)

Additional proteins that may be used to enhance the efficiency of this reprogramming process include:

• Klf-4 (Kruppel-like factor 4)
• Nanog
• Glis1 (Glis family zinc finger 1)

In his landmark 2006 study, Shinya Yamanaka successfully generated iPS cells by inserting a combination of specific genes into adult fibroblasts. While early techniques often utilized the c-Myc gene to facilitate reprogramming, researchers later sought to exclude it due to concerns regarding its association with tumour formation. These factors are typically introduced into the nuclei of adult cells using vectors such as retroviruses or plasmids, allowing the cells to regain the capacity to differentiate into any cell type in the body.132