Concept
Partial Epigenetic Reprogramming
Last updated Sun May 17 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
What it is
The Yamanaka factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc — OSKM, sometimes without Myc as OSK) convert any somatic cell into a pluripotent stem cell over weeks. Partial reprogramming applies the factors briefly — days, not weeks — in the hope of resetting age-associated epigenetic marks without erasing cellular identity.
Why it’s exciting
- Resets epigenetic clocks substantially.
- In mice, restored vision (Lu 2020), improved muscle regeneration, reduced features of progeria, extended lifespan in progeroid mice (Ocampo 2016).
- Implies that biological age has a recoverable software component, not just irreversible damage.
Why it’s hard
- Tumourigenesis risk: even brief Yamanaka factor expression can induce teratomas or cancer in some contexts.
- Identity loss: too much reprogramming destroys what the cell does.
- Delivery: getting OSK into the right cells in a long-lived mammal safely.
- Endpoints: knowing it actually rejuvenated function (not just changed methylation patterns).
Industry
Several companies are essentially built on this idea:
- Altos Labs (the largest by capitalisation).
- NewLimit.
- Retro Biosciences.
- Turn.bio.
Plus academic programs at Salk Institute, Buck Institute, Stanford, and elsewhere.
Where we are
No human partial-reprogramming therapeutic is approved. Mouse work continues to refine factor combinations, delivery, and tissue-specific protocols.
Related entries
Information theory of aging, Epigenetic alterations, Altos Labs, Tony Wyss-Coray.
References
- Ocampo, A. et al. In vivo amelioration of age-associated hallmarks by partial reprogramming. Cell 167, 1719–1733 (2016).
- Lu, Y. et al. Reprogramming to recover youthful epigenetic information and restore vision. Nature 588, 124–129 (2020).