Large Animal Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells As Models Of Human Diseases

Pluripotent stem cells from the early embryos, the embryonic stem cells (ESC), have been the subject of intensive investigation for the past two decades. Much of the excitement surrounding ESC research has been centered on the potential of ESC in differentiating into target cell types, disease modeling, and in offering cures for intractable diseases. So far, rodents and primates are the only species from which “bonafide” ESC have been readily established and have met relatively stringent criteria of pluripotency. However, attempts to generate analogous pluripotent stem cells from other relevant domestic ungulates have been unsuccessful. While the reasons for poor outcome still remain a focus of active investigation, the establishment of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from somatic cells by upregulation of select few reprogramming factors has emerged as an attractive option. In the last few years since the inception, the iPSC field has witnessed substantial progress, with iPSC established from every major large animal species. The iPSC are playing an important role in understanding species-specific differences in pluripotency, unique requirements for their in vitro culture, and in achieving scientific and technical progress towards the establishment of authentic stem cell lines. These topics will be illustrated and discussed in detail in this chapter.