Pallavi Srivastava, Sara Romanazzo, Chantal Kopecky, Stephanie Nemec, Jake Ireland, Thomas G Molley, Kang Lin, Pavithra B Jayathilaka, Elvis Pandzic, Avani Yeola, Vashe Chandrakanthan, John Pimanda, Kristopher Kilian
Gastrulation is a stage in embryo development where three germ layers arise to dictate the human body plan. In vitro models of gastrulation have been demonstrated by treating pluripotent stem cells with soluble morphogens to trigger differentiation. However, in vivo gastrulation is a multistage process coordinated through feedback between soluble gradients and biophysical forces, with the multipotent epiblast transforming to the primitive streak followed by germ layer segregation. Here, the authors show how constraining pluripotent stem cells to hydrogel islands triggers morphogenesis that mirrors the stages preceding in vivo gastrulation, without the need for exogenous supplements...
February 2023: Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)