A reprogrammable mouse strain from gene-targeted embryonic stem cells.

The derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) usually involves the viral introduction of reprogramming factors into somatic cells. Here we used gene targeting to generate a mouse strain with a single copy of an inducible, polycistronic reprogramming cassette, allowing for the induction of pluripotency in various somatic cell types. As these 'reprogrammable mice' can be easily bred, they are a useful tool to study the mechanisms underlying cellular reprogramming.