Methods for making somatic cells more susceptible to reprogramming
AssigneeWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
InventorsRudolf Jaenisch, Konrad Hochedlinger
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Abstract
The invention provides methods for reprogramming somatic cells to generate multipotent or pluripotent cells. Such methods are useful for a variety of purposes, including treating or preventing a medical condition in an individual. The invention further provides methods for identifying an agent that reprograms somatic cells to a less differentiated state.
Claims17
A method of making a primary somatic cell more susceptible to reprogramming to a less differentiated state, comprising:
- introducing an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an Oct 4 protein operably linked to at least one regulatory sequence into the somatic cell, wherein expression of the exogenously introduced nucleic acid results in making the somatic cell more susceptible to reprogramming to a less differentiated state.
A method of making a primary somatic cell more susceptible to reprogramming to a less differentiated state, comprising:
- (a) contacting the somatic cell with a candidate agent of interest with respect to its potential to reprogram a somatic cell;
- and (b) introducing an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an Oct4 protein operably linked to at least one regulatory sequence into the somatic cell, wherein expression of the exogenously introduced pluripotency gene results in making the somatic cell more susceptible to reprogramming to a less differentiated state.
A method of making a primary somatic cell more susceptible to reprogramming to a less differentiated state, comprising:
- introducing an Oct4 protein into the somatic cell, thereby making the somatic cell more susceptible to reprogramming to a less differentiated state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.