Dual-patterned pluripotent stem cells self-organize into a human embryo model with extended anterior-posterior patterning.

ABSTRACT: Human gastruloids are a powerful class of stem cell-derived models that recapitulate key features of early embryonic development, including symmetry breaking and the emergence of three germ layers^1-3. However, they lack anterior embryonic structures and coordinated axial organization^4-6. To address this limitation, we pre-patterned human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) by exposing them to either anterior (FGF2) or posterior (CHIR99021 [CHIR] & retinoic acid [RA]) cues. Upon mixing, these dual-patterned hPSCs interacted and self-organized into elongated structures with both anterior and posterior features-which we term anterior-posterior (AP) human gastruloids. Anteriorly pre-treated cells robustly intercalated into posteriorly pre-treated cells, collectively giving ris

SUBMITTER: Liu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12485718 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature