Naive stem cell blastocyst model captures human embryo lineage segregation

TLDR

Human naive pluripotent cells can differentiate into extraembryonic trophectoderm and hypoblast. The study describes a human embryo model (blastoid) generated by self‑organization. Brief induction of trophectoderm drives self‑organization into blastocyst‑like structures within three days. Blastoids contain three distinct lineage‑specific layers that match the natural blastocyst, as confirmed by single‑cell transcriptomics, offering a versatile and scalable model for human embryo research.

Abstract

Human naive pluripotent cells can differentiate into extraembryonic trophectoderm and hypoblast. Here we describe a human embryo model (blastoid) generated by self-organization. Brief induction of trophectoderm leads to formation of blastocyst-like structures within 3 days. Blastoids are composed of three tissue layers displaying exclusive lineage markers, mimicking the natural blastocyst. Single-cell transcriptome analyses confirm segregation of trophectoderm, hypoblast, and epiblast with high fidelity to the human embryo. This versatile and scalable system provides a robust experimental model for human embryo research.