Organogenesis

Organoids are cellular 3D models of organs, which provide powerful in vitro platforms for the investigation of tissue and disease biology. In this Review, the authors investigate engineering approaches, including cellular engineering, designer matrices and microfluidics, to improve the reproducibility and physiological relevance of organoids.

Fusion of myoblasts is essential for muscle development and repair, but the molecular mechanism underlying this process remains unclear. Here, the authors show, using chicken embryos as a model, that TGFβ signalling inhibits fusion via a receptor complementation mechanism, and indicate the involvement of endocytic degradation of activated receptors in modulation of this process.

The fusion of muscle progenitor cells to form syncytial myofibers is required for skeletal muscle development and regeneration. Here, the authors describe a novel and specific molecular regulation of muscle cell fusion driven by transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling.

Takebe et al. describe a protocol for the continuous patterning of hepatic, biliary and pancreatic structures from a 3D culture of human pluripotent stem cells.