State-of-the-Art: Somatic Cell Sources Used for the Generation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

In the original publications of Yamanaka et al. from 2006 to 2007, which were the basis for the Nobel Prize in medicine, murine, and human fibroblasts had been used as the primary cell source for the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Over time, four other types of somatic cells have been revealed to be suitable for pluripotency induction, namely blood cells, keratinocytes, urine-derived epithelial cells, and mesenchymal stem cells. Although mature cells have been frequently used for the generation of iPSCs, numerous primary cell types have also been reprogrammed successfully. In this review, we address the current state of research dealing with different sources of human somatic cells used for the generation of iPSCs. Our objective is to provide a comprehensive tabular summary of the sources of somatic cells, organized according to the four main types of tissue (connective tissue, epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and neural tissue). This overview will serve as a guide for researchers new to the field looking for suitable sources to generate their own iPSCs, for those interested in generating patient-specific iPSCs, or for those seeking further literature on specific cell sources.