Methods and Compositions for Direct Reprogramming of Somatic Cells to Stem Cells, and Uses of these Cells

Abstract

Presented herein are methods of generating an induced stem cell (iSC) from a somatic cell, by contacting the somatic cell with an induction factor that reprograms the somatic cell to generate an iSC. The induction factor can be a genetic construct or a fusion protein. Where the induction factor is a genetic construct, the construct bears one or more nucleotide sequences encoding one or more reprogramming elements selected from OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, and a Notch pathway molecule, or an active fragment or derivative thereof. The genetic construct can have a lentiviral or episomal vector backbone. The induction factor can also be a fusion protein, with the reprogramming element being a protein selected from OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, or a Notch pathway molecule, or an active fragment or derivative thereof. The fusion protein can be TAT protein or an active fragment or derivative thereof.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.