STEM-LIKE CELLS, METHOD FOR DE-DIFFERENTIATING MAMMALIAN SOMATIC CELLS INTO STEM-LIKE CELLS, AND METHOD FOR DIFFERENTIATING STEM-LIKE CELLS

摘要

A new use is provided for small molecule inhibitors of Oct4 and Sox 2 as a cellular reprogramming agent and a method of reprogramming adult mammalian somatic cells into stem-like cells is provided, using small molecule inhibitors of Oct4 and Sox 2 without the need of any material derived from embryos or fetuses, and without the need of potentially harmful transfecting vectors. Stem-like cells created by the present invention can be induced to differentiate into terminally differentiated adult somatic cells, such as, for example, neuronal cells.