Successfully established a stem cell model for early human embryonic development

The creation of cell structures similar to blastocysts allows scientists to build an in vitro model that mimics the earliest moments of human embryogenesis

The blastocyst is the first structure developed during mammalian embryogenesis

"In order to solve this huge knowledge gap, an effective model is urgently needed to avoid ethical issues that damage human embryos," said co-first author PhD student Samhan Alsolami

The only way to make a blastocyst (a blastocyst-like structure) is to use extended pluripotent stem cells (EPS cells)

"The trophectoderm is combined with EPS cells in three-dimensional culture," says Alsolami

Preliminary studies have shown that EPS mother cells are similar in cell composition and transcriptome to human embryos cultured for about 6-10 days

Their new model, along with other recently established models, will provide insights into human embryogenesis and enable scientists to study diseases such as infertility

"Our work shows that it is possible to construct a reliable model of early human embryogenesis entirely from stem cells, thereby circumventing ethical issues," said Mo Li, a Chinese scientist at KAUST

"These structures will help us explore the development of human organs and many other processes," added Yang Yu of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University and Peking University Third Hospital, who is the co-leader of the research

Original search: Generation of human blastocyst-like structures from pluripotent stem cells