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Biomedical engineering

In vitro amniogenesis

Nature Materials volume 16, pages 394–395 (2017)Cite this article

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Using a biomimetic culture platform to replicate the early biophysical environment of a developing embryo, human pluripotent stem cells can be directed towards amnion formation in vitro.

To identify the nature of the differentiated squamous epithelial cells, the authors undertook gene expression analysis. Definitive identification of the squamous epithelial cells as amnion presented a challenge, since little is known of gene expression in early human amnion, and current animal models do not accurately reflect the mechanism of human amnion development. By a process of elimination, the authors showed that their cells were distinct to other early embryonic or extra-embryonic lineages found in differentiating cultures of pluripotent stem cells, and they were able to demonstrate that the epithelial cells expressed a handful of marker genes that are combinatorially characteristic of later (first trimester) human amnion. The authors also provided evidence that the epithelial differentiation was dependent upon bone morphogenetic protein signalling.

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Figure 1: Development of the amnion.
Figure 2: Development of squamous cysts from human pluripotent stem cells on a synthetic, soft artificial matrix.

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  1. Martin Pera is at the School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia,

    Martin Pera

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  1. Martin Pera
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Correspondence to Martin Pera.

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Pera, M. In vitro amniogenesis. Nature Mater 16, 394–395 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4885

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4885

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