eng Science and Education Publishing American Journal of Biomedical Research 2013-04-03 1 1 35 42 10.12691/ajbr-1-2-3 AJBR2013123 article Victor Valdespino vvaldespinog@yahoo.com.mx 1 Patricia M. Valdespino 2 Victor Valdespino Junior 3 Health-attention Department, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México, México Institute of Ecology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuidad de México, México Medical Ambulatory Attention Unit, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Campeche, México Cellular differentiation is a highly complex process and we need a deeper understanding of their mechanisms. Reprogramming somatic cells follows the inverse order to the physiologic differentiation process. Reprogramming somatic cells may be used as a simplistic model to understand the cellular differentiation process. The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) requires going along through a complex network of genetic and epigenetic pathways. Dedifferentiation from somatic cells to iPSCs involves multiple genetic-epigenetic signaling pathways to obtain high levels of plasticity, self-renewal, motility and loss of specialized cellular functions. Eleven main signaling pathways have been involved in cell fate control and embryonic patterning. Extensive crosstalk among epigenetic pathways modifies DNA, histones and nucleosomes which make up the epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation in differentiation and reprogramming processes. http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajbr/1/2/3/ajbr-1-2-3.pdf cellular differentiation process reprogramming genetic and epigenetic mechanisms