Induced pluripotent stem cells

Abstract

This document provides methods and materials related to induced pluripotent stem cells. For example, induced pluripotent stem cells, compositions containing induced pluripotent stem cells, methods for obtaining induced pluripotent stem cells, and methods for using induced pluripotent stem cells are provided. In addition, methods and materials for using induced pluripotent stem cells to repair tissue (e.g., cardiovascular tissue) in vivo as well as methods and materials for using induced pluripotent stem cells to assess their therapeutic potential in appropriate animal models are provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A population of cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, wherein said induced pluripotent stem cells were obtained using a human Oct3/4 polypeptide, a human Sox family polypeptide, and a human Klf family polypeptide or nucleic acid encoding said human Oct3/4 polypeptide, said human Sox family polypeptide, and said human Klf family polypeptide, wherein the origin of said induced pluripotent stem cell is human, and wherein said induced pluripotent stem cells were not contacted with an exogenous human cMyc polypeptide. 
     
     
         2 . The population of cardiomyocytes of  claim 1 , wherein said induced pluripotent stem cell was induced from a human somatic cell. 
     
     
         3 . The population of cardiomyocytes of  claim 2 , wherein said human somatic cell is selected from the group consisting skin, lung, heart, stomach, brain, liver, blood, kidney, and muscle cells. 
     
     
         4 . The induced pluripotent stem cell of  claim 1 , wherein said human Sox family polypeptide is a Sox2 polypeptide. 
     
     
         5 . The population of cardiomyocytes of  claim 1 , wherein said human Klf family polypeptide is a Klf4 polypeptide. 
     
     
         6 . The population of cardiomyocytes of  claim 1 , wherein said induced pluripotent stem cell comprising nucleic acid encoding said human Oct3/4 polypeptide, a human Sox2 polypeptide, and a human Klf4 polypeptide.