Facilitating reprogramming by defined factors of nullipotent cells

• Applicant: Dr. Marc Lewitzky
• Subject Area: Cell Biology
• Term: from 2008 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 71431576

Pluripotent cells can be induced from differentiated mouse embryonic fibroblasts by retroviral trans-duction with four defined factors: Sox2, Oct3/4, Klf4 and c-Myc. These induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can differentiate into tissue originating from all three germ layers and contribute to the germ-line. However, the induction efficiency is very low and it is not known if these iPS cells are derived from the main population of differentiated fibroblasts or from a subpopulation of possibly multipotent tissue stem cells. One major aim of this project is to determine if pluripotency can be induced in a population of known nullipotent cells. Secondly, we would like to determine if iPS cells can be more efficiently generated from cells that show characteristics of multipotent cells? The findings will help to better understand iPS cell origins and to facilitate de novo generation of pluripotent cells from adult cells.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Japan
• Host: Professor Dr. Shinya Yamanaka