Derivation of human induced pluripotent stem cells through continued exposure of OCT4-induced plastic human fibroblasts to reprogramming media

Abstract

The combination of OCT4 expression and short-term exposure to reprogramming media induces a state of transcriptional plasticity in human fibroblasts, capable of responding to changes in the extracellular environment. Here we provide characterization of iPSCs established through continued culture of OCT4-induced plastic human fibroblasts in pluripotent-supportive reprogramming media. Human iPSCOCT4 are morphologically indistinguishable from conventionally derived iPSCs and express core proteins involved in maintenance of pluripotency. iPSCOCT4 display bona fide functional pluripotency as measured by in vivo teratoma formation consisting of the three germ layers.