Two Supporting Factors Greatly Improve the Efficiency of Human iPSC Generation

SummaryHuman fibroblasts can be induced into pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), but the reprogramming efficiency is quite low. Here, we screened a panel of candidate factors in the presence of OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC in an effort to improve the reprogramming efficiency from human adult fibroblasts. We found that p53 siRNA and UTF1 enhanced the efficiency of iPSC generation up to 100-fold, even when the oncogene c-MYC was removed from the combinations.