An intermediate cell state allows rerouting of cell fate.

Somatic cell reprogramming into pluripotent stem cells using transcriptional factors or chemical compounds has been shown to include an intermediate cell state with epithelial features. Two recent papers show that this intermediate state can be redirected to create other differentiated cell types-specifically hepatocytes and neurons-using chemical cocktails. These results shed new light on a critical intermediate in cell fate conversion with mechanistic and practical implications.