The disclosure provides an episome comprising OCT4, KLF4, SOX2, cMYC, NANOG, LIN28, and NRSA2. Also disclosed is a method for producing an induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell. The method comprises introducing an episome into a cell, wherein the episome comprises OCT4, KLF4, SOX2, cMYC, NANOG, LIN28, and NRSA2, and growing the cell under conditions to select for the presence of the episome. The method also comprises selecting a primary clone and growing the primary clone in a medium comprising a MEK inhibitor and a GSK3b inhibitor.

The invention relates to a method for inducing pluripotent stem cells, wherein a mammalian cell is contacted with a compound characterized by a general formula 1 wherein R.sup.1 is (CH.sub.2).sub.mE, with E being CCH or CN and m being 0, 1, or 2, and R.sup.2 is selected from F, CI, Br, OR.sup.3 and R.sup.3, with R.sup.3 being selected from H, (CH.sub.yF.sub.2-y).sub.n CH.sub.XF.sub.3-X, with n=0 or 1. The invention further relates to stem cells obtained by the method of the invention, and culture media comprising the compound of the invention.

The invention provides cell culture conditions for culturing stem cells, including feeder-free conditions for generating and culturing human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). More particularly, the invention provides a culture platform that allows long-term culture of pluripotent cells in a feeder-free environment; reprogramming of cells in a feeder-free environment; single-cell dissociation of pluripotent cells; cell sorting of pluripotent cells; maintenance of an undifferentiated status; improved efficiency of reprogramming; and generation of a naïve pluripotent cell.

Methods and compositions relating to the production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are disclosed. For example, induced pluripotent stem cells may be generated from CD34.sup.+ hematopoietic cells, such as human CD34.sup.+ blood progenitor cells, or T cells. Various iPS cell lines are also provided. In certain embodiments, the invention provides novel induced pluripotent stem cells with a genome comprising genetic rearrangement of T cell receptors.

Provided herein are methods of obtaining induced pluripotent stem cells from cells of a hematopoietic lineage.

The invention relates generally to methods of generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that do not contain the reprogramming vector. In some embodiments, the invention relates to inducing pluripotency in somatic cells by introducing an episomal vector(s) comprising at least one expression cassette containing reprogramming factors and/or synthetic transcription factors and a suicide gene. In some embodiments, the invention relates to inducing pluripotency in somatic cells by introducing episomal vector(s) comprising expression cassettes containing reprogramming factors and/or synthetic transcription factors and a transcriptionally regulated EBNA-1 gene. In some embodiments, the invention relates to inducing pluripotency in somatic cells by introducing episomal vector(s) comprising expression cassettes containing reprogramming factors and/or synthetic transcription factors and both a suicide gene and a transcriptionally regulated EBNA-1 gene.

A method of generating protein-induced pluripotent stem cells by delivering bacterially expressed reprogramming proteins into nuclei of starting somatic cells using the QQ-protein transduction technique, repeating several cell reprogramming cycles for creating reprogrammed protein-induced pluripotent stem cells, moving the reprogrammed cells into a feeder-free medium for expansion, and expanding and passaging the reprogrammed cells in a whole dish for generating homogeneous piPS cells. Also provided are the piPCS cells formed using this method and uses thereof.

A method of producing induced pluripotent stem cells including a step for introducing an initialization factor into somatic cells of a mammal, and culturing in a neural stem cell culture medium to obtain induced neural stem cell-like cells, and a step for cultivating said induced neural stem cell-like cells in a growth medium to obtain induced pluripotent stem cells, wherein the initialization factor contains an OCT family, a SOX family, a KLF family, a MYC family, a LIN28 family and a P53 function inhibitor.

The present invention relates to stem cells derived from a multi-layered cellular structure or blastocyst structure, compositions comprising the same, and methods for obtaining the same.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for reprogramming somatic cells using purified RNA preparations comprising single-strand mRNA encoding an iPS cell induction factor. The purified RNA preparations are preferably substantially free of RNA contaminant molecules that: i) would activate an immune response in the somatic cells, ii) would decrease expression of the single-stranded mRNA in the somatic cells, and/or iii) active RNA sensors in the somatic cells. In certain embodiments, the purified RNA preparations are substantially free of partial mRNAs, double-stranded RNAs, un-capped RNA molecules, and/or single-stranded run-on mRNAs.