Highly efficient reprogramming to pluripotency and directed differentiation of human cells using synthetic modified mRNA

In this article, the authors describe a simple, non-integrating strategy for reprogramming cell fate based on the administration of synthetic mRNA modified to overcome innate antiviral responses. Laminin-521 is used as a matrix. They show that this approach can reprogram multiple human cell types to pluripotency with efficiencies that greatly surpass established protocols and that the same technology can be used to efficiently direct the differentiation of RNA-induced pluripotent stem (RiPS) cells into terminally differentiated myogenic cells.