[Induction and characterization of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells: a review].

The somatic cells can be induced into ES-like stem cells when retrovirally infected the defined transcription factors including Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc. These ES-like cells are named induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and this method is called iPS technology. Until the end of 2009, iPS cell lines have been generated in various animal species, such as mouse, human, rhesus monkey, rat and pig. Mouse iPS cells are also used to generate chimera mice and viable mice through the tetraploid complementation. Although iPS cells are extremely similar to ES cells in both morphology and growth features, to generate iPS cells do need the defined culture procedures. Based on the update global iPS technology development and the iPS studies in our laboratory, this paper focused on the establishment of iPS cell lines and improvement of iPS cell culture condition.