Human transcription factor SOX-2 Adenovirus (Ad-h-Sox2)

The Sox family of genes is associated with maintaining pluripotency similar to Oct-3/4, although it is associated with multipotent and unipotent stem cells in contrast with Oct-3/4, which is exclusively expressed in pluripotent stem cells. While Sox2 was the initial gene used for induction by Yamanaka, other genes in the Sox family have been found to work as well in the induction process. Sox1 yields iPS cells with a similar efficiency as Sox2, and genes Sox3, Sox15, and Sox18 also generate iPS cells, although with decreased efficiency. Co-expression of Oct4, Sox2, KLF4 and c-Myc (Yamanaka set) in somatic cell will lead to iPSC reprogramming. Using adenovirus to deliver these transcription factors has 2 main advantages - it does not incorporate into the targeted host and therefore avoids the potential for insertional mutagenesis, and the expression is transient for a brief amount of time in order for effective reprogramming to take place. This adenovirus expresses human Sox2, and it can be used in combination with other iPSC factor for the induction of iPSC reprogramming.