iPSCs
expression of Oct4 alone is sufficient to convert adult neural stem cells into iPSCs (if inefficient). 5 The breakthrough discovery of iPSCs allows researchers to obtain pluripotent stem cells without the controversial use of embryos, providing a novel and powerful method to ‘ de-differentiate ’ cells.
IPSC’s are similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells in many aspects. The iPSC lines exhibit similar functional properties to ES such cells as morphology and growth properties and are able to express ES cell-specific genes. 6
Why iPSCs are important
The applications of iPSCs include the development of disease-specific autologous cell therapy, disease models to evaluate underlying mechanisms, toxicity screens, drug development, drug delivery, pharmacovigilance, and clinical use. The technology can assist drug developers by identifying individual patient's disease at the molecular level and then using targeted treatments (possibly in combination) to develop new drugs. Consistent supply of standardized high-quality iPSC lines from facilities such as EBiSC is envisioned to greatly facilitate research into the development of new cell processing procedures which are more reliable, affordable and efficient. 7
Main methods of generating iPSCs
The main methods of generating iPSCs are reprogramming by integrative or non-integrative vectors. Reprogramming by integrative vectors involves inserting external genetic material into the genome of the somatic cell, while non-integrative vectors do not involve any genetic modification. 8 A majority of methods lead to the creation of iPSCs typically by promoting the presence of Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c- Myc although some methods also promote other factors that aid in the generation of iPSCs. There are many different methods which each have their own niches and subniches. I am choosing to keep the view of this dissertation broad. I will talk about six different methods, each of these may overlap in aspects of their method of iPSC generation. Some methods focus on the importance of delivery of material to the genes, some may focus on the effect on the genes once material is in the cell. I chose the generally accepted best methods from each of their respective categories in order to best represent their niche as a whole. 5 ‘ How Are Induced Pluripotent Stem (IPS) Cells Different from Embryonic Stem (ES) Cells? What Can We Use IPS Cells for? ’ Nature news. Nature Publishing Group. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/turning-somatic-cells-into-pluripotent-stem-cells-14431451/. 6 ‘ How Are Induced Pluripotent Stem (IPS) Cells Different from Embryonic Stem (ES) Cells? What Can We Use IPS Cells for? ’ Nature news. Nature Publishing Group. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/turning-somatic-cells-into-pluripotent-stem-cells-14431451/. 7 Andreas Kurtz, Stefanie Seltmann. ‘ Major Applications of IPSC. ’ EBiSC. Accessed February 25, 2023. https://ebisc.org/about/ipsc_applications. 8 Malik, N., & Rao, M.S. (2013). A review of the methods for human iPSC derivation. Methods in molecular biology, 997 , 23-33; Gonzãlez, F., Boué, S., & Belmonte, J.C. (2011). Methods for making induced pluripotent stem cells: reprogramming à la carte. Nature Reviews Genetics, 12 , 231-242.
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