Derivation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells are derived from somatic cells isolated from various tissues and cultured in vitro. The cells are exposed to a combination of transcription factors, the process called 'reprogramming', to achieve pluripotent state. Once reprogramming is completed and the cells express specific markers of pluripotency, the resulting cells are termed induced pluripotent stem cells – iPSCs. iPSCs, similarly to ESCs, are able to differentiate into cells of any of the three germ layers: endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm.