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Cell biology

Yamanaka factors

DEYamanaka-Faktoren

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The Yamanaka factors are four transcription factors, OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC (OSKM), identified by Shinya Yamanaka in 2006 as sufficient to reprogram differentiated somatic cells back into a pluripotent embryonic-like state. This work, recognized by the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (shared with John B. Gurdon for the broader discovery that cell differentiation is reversible), demonstrated that cellular identity and aging are reversible. They are now central tools in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and longevity research focused on epigenetic rejuvenation.

Sources

  1. Takahashi K, Yamanaka S. (2006). Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors. *Cell*doi:10.1016/j.cell.2006.07.024