Human embryo models: unveiling sophisticated self-organization of stem cells during post-implantation stages

Abstract

In three recent articles published in Nature and Cell, Weatherbee et al.1, Pedroza et al.2 and Liu et al.3 have demonstrated how human pluripotent stem cells can be coaxed to self-organize into compartmentalized structures that mirror post-implantation embryos. Building on the successful establishment of stem cell-derived mouse embryo models ex utero, these models now shed light on human embryo development during the period between implantation and gastrulation, which has so far been challenging to investigate.