Methods for reprogramming primate somatic cells to pluripotency using an episomal vector that does not encode an infectious virus are disclosed. Pluripotent cells produced in the methods are also disclosed.

Provided are chemical inducers of pluripotency (CIP) which include glycogen synthase kinase inhibitors, TGFβ receptor inhibitors, cyclic AMP agonists and S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAH) inhibitors or histone acetylators. A method of inducing pluripotency in a partially or completely differentiated cell by using such chemical inducers of pluripotency is also provided. The method includes: (i) contacting a cell with the CIPs for a sufficient period of time to result in reprograming the cell into a pluripotent stem cell having ESC-like characteristics (CiPSC). Isolated chemically induced pluripotent stem cells (CiPSCs) and their progeny, produced by inducing differentiation of the CiPSCs, can be used in a number of applications, including but not limited to cell therapy and tissue engineering.

The current disclosure provides methods for reprogramming mammalian somatic cells by regulating the expression of endogenous cellular genes. Cellular reprogramming of somatic cells can be induced by activating the transcription of embryonic stem cell-associated genes (e.g., oct3/4) and suppressing the transcription of somatic cell-specific and/or cell death-associated genes. The endogenous transcription machinery can be modulated using synthetic transcription factors (activators and suppressors), to allow for faster, and more efficient nuclear reprogramming under conditions amenable for clinical and commercial applications. The current disclosure further provides cells obtained from such methods, along with therapeutic methods for using such cells for the treatment of diseases amendable to stem cell therapy, as well as kits for such uses.

A method of inducing pluripotency in somatic cells derived from a non-human domestic animal or farm animal comprises culturing neural stem cells (NSCs) in the presence of vectors that express one or more reprogramming factors. Canine, porcine and bovine iPSCs are obtained with distinct genetic marker profiles.

Provided is a method for producing platelets, in which damage to platelets is suppressed compared with a method in which platelets are separated using a filter from a megakaryocyte culture, and then the platelets are concentrated using a hollow fiber membrane and are further washed using the hollow fiber membrane, and purified platelets can be produced in a shorter period of time compared with the time that is taken to perform the above-described method so as to reduce damage to platelets. The method for producing purified platelets of the present invention includes a concentrating step of concentrating a megakaryocyte culture, and a centrifuging step of centrifuging platelets from an obtained concentrate.

A method of producing an induced pluripotent stem cell, comprising the step of introducing at least one kind of non-viral expression vector incorporating at least one gene that encodes a reprogramming factor into a somatic cell. In some embodiments, the gene that encodes a reprogramming factor is one or more kind of genes selected from the group consisting of an Oct family gene, a Klf family gene, a Sox family gene, a Myc family gene, a Lin family gene, and the Nanog gene.

The purpose of the present invention is to develop a virus vector, the activity of which is rendered controllable. A virus protein gene derived from an RNA virus is provided in which a gene encoding an optical switch protein is inserted into a foreign gene introducible region of the virus protein so as to enable expression of the gene. By means of this virus vector, it is possible to control, with irradiation of light, enzyme activity of the virus protein and virus vector activity based thereon.

The present invention relates in part to methods for producing tissue-specific cells from patient samples, and to tissue-specific cells produced using these methods. Methods for reprogramming cells using RNA are disclosed. Therapeutics comprising cells produced using these methods are also disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to methods and compositions for reprogramming cells to a pluripotent state. In particular, it relates to an integration- and feeder cell-free method for reprogramming primary human fibroblast cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

The present disclosure relates to methods and compositions for reprogramming cells to a pluripotent state. In particular, it relates to an integration- and feeder cell-free method for reprogramming primary human fibroblast cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).