Collection

The routes taken by cells during reprogramming remain a mystery in many aspects. In this collection, Nature Publishing Group brings together five research articles reporting on efforts to unlock the black box of reprogramming.

Nagy and colleagues have taken an unbiased approach to monitor the diversity of cell states that arise after induction of reprogramming factors expression. They uncovered a novel cell state and analysed the changes in transcriptome, proteome and epigenome associated with reprogramming.

Three news and Comment articles place these findings in perspective with our current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms behind reprogramming. Kerri Smith reflects on the challenges of reprogramming cells to pluripotency with David Cyranoski and Andras Nagy on the Nature podcast.