US 11,987,815 B2
Methods for reprogramming somatic cells
Rudolf Jaenisch, Brookline, MA (US); and Konrad Hochedlinger, Cambridge, MA (US)
Assigned to Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed by Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed on Oct. 28, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/665,821.
Application 12/703,061 is a division of application No. 10/997,146, filed on Nov. 24, 2004, granted, now 7,682,828, issued on Mar. 23, 2010.
Application 16/665,821 is a continuation of application No. 16/030,815, filed on Jul. 9, 2018, granted, now 10,457,917, issued on Oct. 29, 2019.
Application 16/030,815 is a continuation of application No. 15/588,062, filed on May 5, 2017, granted, now 10,017,744, issued on Jul. 10, 2018.
Application 15/588,062 is a continuation of application No. 14/923,321, filed on Oct. 26, 2015, granted, now 9,670,464, issued on Jun. 6, 2017.
Application 14/923,321 is a continuation of application No. 13/646,430, filed on Oct. 5, 2012, granted, now 9,169,490, issued on Oct. 27, 2015.
Application 13/646,430 is a continuation of application No. 12/703,061, filed on Feb. 9, 2010, granted, now 8,940,536, issued on Jan. 27, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/530,042, filed on Dec. 15, 2003.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/525,612, filed on Nov. 26, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2020/0239855 A1, Jul. 30, 2020
Int. Cl. C12N 5/074 (2010.01); C12N 15/85 (2006.01); A01K 67/0273 (2024.01); A01K 67/0275 (2024.01); C07K 14/47 (2006.01); C12N 15/877 (2010.01)
CPC C12N 5/0696 (2013.01) [C12N 15/85 (2013.01); A01K 67/0273 (2013.01); A01K 67/0275 (2013.01); A01K 2217/05 (2013.01); A01K 2227/105 (2013.01); C07K 14/4702 (2013.01); C12N 15/8509 (2013.01); C12N 15/8775 (2013.01); C12N 2501/602 (2013.01); C12N 2501/603 (2013.01); C12N 2501/605 (2013.01); C12N 2506/1307 (2013.01); C12N 2510/00 (2013.01); C12N 2830/003 (2013.01); C12N 2830/006 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
 
1. A method for identifying an agent capable of reprograming somatic cells to a pluripotent state, comprising:
(i) contacting a candidate agent with an engineered somatic cell comprising an endogenous pluripotency gene operably linked to a DNA encoding a selectable marker in such a manner that the expression of the selectable marker substantially matches the expression of the endogenous pluripotency gene; and
(ii) selecting the cell contacted with the candidate agent for expression of the selectable marker, and assessing for pluripotency characteristics of the selected cell,
wherein the presence of at least a subset of pluripotency characteristics indicates that the candidate agent is capable of reprogramming somatic cells to a pluripotent state;
wherein the engineered somatic cell comprises an exogenous nucleic acid encoding Oct4 operably linked to at least one inducible regulatory sequence, and
wherein the engineered somatic cell is induced to express from the exogenous nucleic acid an amount of Oct4 expression comparable to the amount of Oct4 expression in an embryonic stem cell before contacting with the candidate agent.