Behind the developing brains and beating hearts of stem cell-derived embryo models

Creators: Amadei, Gianluca; Glover, David M.

Abstract

Studies over the past decade have shown how stem cells representing embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues of the mouse can self-assemble in the culture dish to recapitulate an astonishing part of early embryonic development. A systematic analysis has demonstrated how pluripotent embryonic stem cells can be induced to behave like the implanting epiblast; how they can interact with trophectoderm stem cells to form a patterned structure resembling the implanting embryo prior to gastrulation; and how the third stem cell type—extra-embryonic endoderm cells—can be incorporated to generate structures that undergo the cell movements and gene expression patterns of gastrulation. Moreover, such stem cell-derived embryo models can proceed to neurulation and establish progenitors for all parts of the brain and neural tube, somites, beating heart structures and gut tube. They develop within extra-embryonic yolk sacs that initiate haematopoiesis. Here we trace this journey of discovery.

Additional Information

D.M.G. has been priviledged to be a fly-person on the wall throughout these studies, occasionally falling into the soup but managing to keep afloat. In the course of this work, we are grateful for many discussions with Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, Ivan Bedzhov, Sarah Harrison, Marta Shahbazi, Berna Sozen, Andy Cox, Charlotte Handford and Kasey Lau, among many other members of the Zernicka-Goetz lab. This article does not aim to be a comprehensive review of artificial embryos and we apologize for not being able to review or cite all publications in the field. We received no funding for this study.

Errata

The conflict of interest disclosures should have read as follows: Conflict of interest declaration. D.M.G. is a member of the Open Biology Editorial Board and is the spouse of Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz. As an author of the above Commentary article, D.M.G. had no involvement in the peer review or editorial decision-making, which was handled by Subject Editor Marek Mlodzik. G.A. declares no conflicts of interest. This has been corrected on the publisher's website.

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