Shun Shibata, Shun Endo, Luis A E Nagai, Eri H Kobayashi, Akira Oike, Norio Kobayashi, Akane Kitamura, Takeshi Hori, Yuji Nashimoto, Ryuichiro Nakato, Hirotaka Hamada, Hirokazu Kaji, Chie Kikutake, Mikita Suyama, Masatoshi Saito, Nobuo Yaegashi, Hiroaki Okae, Takahiro Arima
The initiation of human pregnancy is marked by the implantation of an embryo into the uterine environment; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. To address this knowledge gap, we developed hormone-responsive endometrial organoids (EMO), termed apical-out (AO)-EMO, which emulate the in vivo architecture of endometrial tissue. The AO-EMO comprise an exposed apical epithelium surface, dense stromal cells, and a self-formed endothelial network. When cocultured with human embryonic stem cell-derived blastoids, the three-dimensional feto-maternal assembloid system recapitulates critical implantation stages, including apposition, adhesion, and invasion...
February 23, 2024: Science Advances