Overview
- Built from human stem cells, the three-dimensional structures self-organise into the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm within two days.
- By day eight the models generate beating heart cells, and by about day 13 red blood patches become visible, mirroring early embryonic timing.
- The system yields hematopoietic stem cells that differentiate into multiple blood lineages, including adaptive immune cells such as T cells.
- The model cannot develop into an embryo because it lacks key extraembryonic tissues, and the research proceeded under approved ethical oversight.
- The work is published in Cell Reports, funded primarily by Wellcome, patented via Cambridge Enterprise, and is positioned for disease modelling, drug screening, and longer-term regenerative applications.