Blau and colleagues show that non-dividing heterokaryons between mouse embryonic stem cells and human fibroblasts, in which human nuclei reprogram to a more embryonic state, can be used to identify signalling pathways involved in reprogramming. They delineate that IL-6 signalling and JAK/STAT target kinase Pim1 signalling are induced during this reprogramming, and that they increase the efficiency of factor-mediated reprogramming to induced pluripotent stem cell status.
- Jennifer J. Brady
- Mavis Li
- Helen M. Blau
