Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors.

Takahashi and Yamanaka reprogrammed mice fibroblast cells, which can produce only other fibroblast cells, to become pluripotent stem cells, which have the capacity to produce many different types of cells. This they achieved by altering the expression of four genes. Full text available from Cell.com at this link.  See also No. 14063.

In 2012 Yamanaka shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Sir John B. Gurdon "for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent."