# Yamanaka factors

The Yamanaka factors are four transcription factors: OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC (together, OSKM). Shinya Yamanaka identified them in 2006. He showed they are enough to reprogram a specialized body cell back into a pluripotent, embryonic-like state. The work won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. (He shared it with John B. Gurdon, who first showed that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent.) The key lesson: a cell's identity, and its aging, can be reversed, even in your own cells. The factors are now central tools in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and longevity research aimed at epigenetic rejuvenation.

## Sources

- Takahashi K, Yamanaka S. (2006). Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2006.07.024
- Takahashi K, Tanabe K, Ohnuki M, et al.. (2007). Induction of pluripotent stem cells from adult human fibroblasts by defined factors. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2007.11.019

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_Canonical: https://longevity-switzerland.com/en/glossary/yamanaka-factors · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_