ROCKi Y27632 + J2 feeder-mediated conditional reprogramming of CD133(+) cells allowed sustained CD133 expression (~85% CD133-positivity) together with increased expression of the stem cell markers OCT4, Nanog, and vimentin, markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as hallmarks of melanoma initiating cells (MICs), such as melanosphere formation and resistance to MAPK inhibitors [58]. This evidence concerns the gene VIM and melanoma.