SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 pathway in iPSCs

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are embryonic stem cells (ESCs)-like cells reprogrammed from somatic cells by overexpression of a set of reprogramming factors including Oct4, Klf4, Sox2, and c-Myc (OKSM) in mice and humans. iPSCs have become widely used today to generate various types of stem cells for research and for regenerative medicine. The Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway is the principal signaling mechanism for a wide array of cytokines and growth factors, which communicates information from extracellular chemical signals to the cell nucleus, resulting in the activation of target genes transcription. In this chapter, we summarize the functions of JAK-STAT pathway in regulating reprograming, pluripotency maintenance, and differentiation of iPSCs. Moreover, we will discuss the roles of JAK-STAT pathway in disease models, as well as the cross talk between JAK-STAT pathway and other signaling pathways.