Oral mucosa epithelial stem cells from a patient affected by Ectrodactyly-Ectodermal dysplasia-Clefting (EEC) syndrome carrying the R279H mutation in the TP63 gene were reprogrammed into human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) with episomal vectors. The generated UNIPDi003-A-hPSC line retained the mutation of the parental cells and showed a normal karyotype upon long term culture. Analysis of residual transgenes expression showed that the episomal vectors were eliminated from the cell line. UNIPDi003-A-hiPSCs expressed the undifferentiated state marker alkaline phosphatase along with a panel of pluripotency markers, and formed embryoid bodies capable of expressing markers belonging to all the three germ layers.

Transgene free UNIPDi002-A-human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line was generated by Sendai Virus Vectors reprogramming from human oral mucosal epithelial stem cells (hOMESCs) of a patient affected by ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-clefting (EEC)-syndrome, carrying a mutation in exon 8 of the TP63 gene (R304Q). The UNIPDi002-A-hiPSC line retained the mutation of the parental R304Q-hOMESCs and displayed a normal karyotype. No residual expression of transgenes nor Sendai virus vector sequences were detected in the line at passage 8. UNIPDi002-A-hiPSC expressed a panel of pluripotency-associated markers and could form embryoid bodies expressing markers belonging to the three germ layers ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are pluripotent cells derived from adult somatic cells. After the pioneering work by Yamanaka, who first generated iPSCs by retroviral transduction of four reprogramming factors, several alternative methods to obtain iPSCs have been developed in order to increase the yield and safety of the process. However, the question remains open on whether the different reprogramming methods can influence the pluripotency features of the derived lines. In this study, three different strategies, based on retroviral vectors, episomal vectors, and Sendai virus vectors, were applied to derive iPSCs from human fibroblasts. The reprogramming efficiency of the methods based on episomal and Sendai virus vectors was higher than that of the retroviral vector-based approach. All human iPSC clones derived with the different methods showed the typical features of pluripotent stem cells, including the expression of alkaline phosphatase and stemness maker genes, and could give rise to the three germ layer derivatives upon embryoid bodies assay. Microarray analysis confirmed the presence of typical stem cell gene expression profiles in all iPSC clones and did not identify any significant difference among reprogramming methods. In conclusion, the use of different reprogramming methods is equivalent and does not affect gene expression profile of the derived human iPSCs.