Establishment of embryonic stem cell(ESC) lines has been successful in mouse and human, but not in farm animals. Development of direct reprogramming technology offers an alternative approach for generation of pluripotent stem cells, applicable also in farm animals. Induced pluripotent stem cells(i PSCs) represent practically limitless, ethically acceptable, individuum-specific source of pluripotent cells that can be generated from different types of somatic cells. i PSCs can differentiate to all cell types of an organism's body and have a tremendous potential for numerous applications in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. However, molecular mechanisms behind the reprogramming process remain largely unknown and hamper generation of bona fide i PSCs and their use in human clinical practice. Large animal models are essential to expand the knowledge obtained on rodents and facilitate development and validation of transplantation therapies in preclinical studies. Additionally, transgenic animals with special traits could be generated from genetically modified pluripotent cells, using advanced reproduction techniques. Despite their applicative potential, it seems that i PSCs in farm animals haven't received the deserved attention. The aim of this review was to provide a systematic overview on i PSC generation in the most important mammalian farm animal species(cattle, pig, horse, sheep, goat, and rabbit), compare protein sequence similarity of pluripotency-related transcription factors in different species, and discuss potential uses of farm animal i PSCs. Literature mining revealed 32 studies, describing i PSC generation in pig(13 studies), cattle(5),horse(5), sheep(4), goat(3), and rabbit(2) that are summarized in a concise, tabular format.
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