Generation of isogenic pluripotent stem cells.

The ability to reprogram somatic cell nuclei back into a pluripotent epigenetic state provides exciting new possibilities for in vitro research and cell transplantation therapy. There has been a significant quantity of recent research studies demonstrating that this epigenetic reprogramming process is possible with human and non-human primate somatic cells. In this review, various methodologies for reprogramming primate somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells are examined, epigenetic reprogramming following somatic cell nuclear transfer and normal primate embryonic development is compared, and future potential methods to induce direct reprogramming without using genetic modification are discussed.