Interaction Between Pluripotent Stem Cells and Amniotic Epithelium for the In Vitro Study of Human Embryogenesis

During the peri-implantation stage in primate embryos, the epiblast coexists with amniotic epithelium, suggesting a pivotal role for this tissue in embryogenesis. This interaction has attracted considerable interest in developmental biology and regenerative medicine due to its potential influence on embryonic patterning and tissue specification. In this protocol, we examined whether co-culturing human amniotic epithelial cells (hAEC) with human embryonic stem cells (hESC) enhances the latter's capacity for differentiation toward human primordial germ cell-like cells (hPGCLC).