Shinya Yamanaka

Shinya Yamanaka received the Nobel Prize for discovering that four transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc) can reprogram differentiated cells into induced pluripotent stem cells, a breakthrough that revealed the reversibility of cell fate and established direct parallels between reprogramming and oncogenic transformation since three of four factors are known oncogenes. His work demonstrated that the reprogramming process shares molecular mechanisms with cancer development including epigenetic remodeling, metabolic rewiring, and bypass of senescence checkpoints. iPSC technology has enabled generation of patient-specific cancer models and the development of iPSC-derived NK cells and T cells for off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy.