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Advances in engineered models of peri-gastrulation
Diandian Cheng1,2, Christopher T Clark1,2, Quinton Smith1,2,3,4
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
Iscience
|June 13, 2025
Summary
Stem cell and engineering technologies create advanced models of human development, offering new insights into early lineage specification and morphogenetic events. These models, including blastoids and gastruloids, enhance our understanding of embryonic development stages.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Bioengineering
Background:
- Studying early human development faces ethical and technical hurdles.
- Stem cell technology and engineering tools offer novel research approaches.
- Existing models provide insights into specific developmental stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the integration of engineering technologies with stem cell models for studying human development.
- To highlight advancements in pre-gastrulation, gastrulation, and post-gastrulation models.
- To emphasize the enhanced precision and understanding gained through these integrated systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing blastoids for pre-gastrulation research.
- Employing 2D micropatterned systems and 3D gastruloids for gastrulation studies.
- Developing somitoids for post-gastrulation research.
- Integrating engineering tools like micropatterned substrates and microfluidic systems.
Main Results:
- Blastoids model blastocyst formation and early lineage specification.
- Gastrulation models reveal cell differentiation and signaling during germ layer formation.
- Post-gastrulation models allow study of somitogenesis and neural tube development.
- Engineering tools enhance model precision for studying peri-gastrulation stages.
Conclusions:
- Integrated stem cell and engineering models provide unprecedented insights into early human development.
- These advanced models facilitate research on lineage specification, morphogenetic events, and embryo-maternal interactions.
- Further application of these technologies promises a deeper understanding of mammalian embryonic development.
