Abstract
Human breast milk epithelial cells (BMECs) can be isolated and cultured with high purity. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated from BMECs with Yamanaka factors (OCT4, SOX2, c-MYC, KLF4) using episomal system. Pluripotency of breast milk-derived iPSCs (BM-iPSCs) was confirmed by the expression of pluripotent markers with immunocytochemistry and spontaneous differentiation of three germ layers in vitro and teratoma formation assay in vivo. Besides, the iPSC lines displayed normal karyotype. Breast milk is a non-invasive and easily accessible cell source, we can obtain BM-iPSCs from BMECs with low costs in a transgene-free episomal system.