Pluripotency can be induced in somatic cells by overexpression of a set of transcription factors, but the process has extremely low efficiency and slow kinetics. Here, cells with low endogenous p19Arf levels and immortal fibroblasts deficient for components of the Arf–Trp53 pathway yield induced pluripotent stem cell colonies with up to threefold faster kinetics and at a significantly higher efficiency than wild-type cells, reaching frequencies of up to 100%.
- Jochen Utikal
- Jose M. Polo
- Konrad Hochedlinger
