BRAINCAKEInduced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are specialised adult cells that have been reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells. They were first made by Shinya Yamanaka in 2006, using mouse skin fibroblasts, and from human cells in 2007.
How they are made
Specialised cells have most of the genes needed for pluripotency switched off. Scientists switch these back on by introducing genes that code for four transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc). The genes are usually inserted using a viral vector. The transcription factors activate the network of genes that keeps a cell undifferentiated, and a small proportion of cells become pluripotent.
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
Key terms in this lesson
- oncogene
- A gene that, when mutated or overexpressed, can drive a cell towards becoming cancerous.
- transcription factor
- A protein that binds to DNA near a gene and helps or prevents RNA polymerase binding to the promoter, switching the gene on or off.
More in Gene Expression
- Therapeutic Cloning
- Gene Editing
- Potential Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy
- Pitfalls of Stem Cell Therapy
- Diseases that Could Be Treated
- Type I Diabetes
- Damaged Nerves
- Organs for Transplants
All 39 lessons in Gene Expression · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics