Synergistic role of miRNA-1811 and miRNA-302 in enhancing direct reprogramming efficiency of chicken embryo fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells.

The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells holds immense promise for regenerative medicine and disease modeling. However, the reprogramming efficiency in avian species, such as chickens, has been notably lower than in mammalian models. This study investigates the potential of microRNAs (miRNAs) to enhance the reprogramming of chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) into iPSCs. We report the identification and utilization of gga-miRNA-302s and the novel gga-miRNA-1811, which were found to be co-expressed during early chicken embryonic development. The combination of these miRNAs with key pluripotency genes significantly improved the reprogramming efficiency of CEFs into iPSCs, resulting in cells with robust pluripotency markers and differentiation potential. Our findings demonstrate that co-expression of gga-miRNA-1811 and gga-miRNA-302s plays a critical role in promoting the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, a crucial step in the reprogramming process. These results not only advance the field of avian iPSC generation but also offer a valuable strategy for improving reprogramming efficiency across species, with implications for stem cell research and translational medicine.