Scientists in Britain have for the first time created a structure that resembles a mouse embryo using a 3D scaffold and two types of stem cells — research that deepens understanding of the earliest stages of mammalian development.
Publishing their results in the journal Science on Thursday, the team, based at Cambridge University, said that while the artificial embryo closely resembled the real thing, it would be unlikely to develop further into a healthy mouse fetus.
For research purposes, however, the scientists were able to show how the artificial embryo followed the same pattern of development as a normal embryo — with the stem cells organizing themselves in the same way.