Yearly Archives: 2017

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Cynata Therapeutics talks stem cell research at Proactive’s CEO Sessions – Proactive Investors Australia

By adminMarch 6, 2017Stell Cell Research

Find out more from Dr Ross Macdonald at Proactive's CEO Sessions.

Cynata Therapeutics (ASX:CYP) is a stem cell and regenerative medicine company that is developing a therapeutic stem cell platform technology, Cymerus.

The technology addresses a critical shortcoming in existing methods of production of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for therapeutic use.

Cynata is now in a transition to a clinical stage company.

Earlier this year Cynata announced a breakthrough strategic partnership agreement with Fujifilm which included the Japanese company investing in Cynata to become the largest shareholder in the company.

Find out more from Dr Ross Macdonald at Proactive's CEO Sessions.

Click on city below to register by email

- Sydney: Tuesday 14th March. - Melbourne: Wednesday 15th March. - Email Pauline here. - Call office on (02) 9280 0700.

Presenter list

- Legend Mining (ASX:LEG): Mark Wilson. - Cynata Therapeutics (ASX:CYP): Dr Ross Macdonald. - White Cliff Minerals (ASX:WCN): Todd Hibberd. - Bluechiip (ASX:BCT): Andrew McLellan.

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Cynata Therapeutics talks stem cell research at Proactive's CEO Sessions - Proactive Investors Australia

Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, School of …

By adminMarch 6, 2017Uncategorized

Message From Our Chair

Welcome to the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where our mission is to be nationally recognized for excellence in our discipline by Leading, Teaching and Caring.

LeadingWe conduct cutting-edge, innovative research that advances the discipline of cell biology and physiology, with an emphasis on topics that contribute to the improvement of human health. The UNC-CH Department of Cell Biology and Physiology is nationally-recognized and ranked #2 in the country for our level of NIH funding in 2016! The Department comprises over 35 basic science laboratories dedicated to integrative research in areas related to neuroscience, cardiovascular development and disease, cell motility, cellular cytoskeleton and intracellular trafficking, gastrointestinal biology, cellular mechanisms of aging and cancer biology. I encourage you to browse our website, which highlights each individual faculty research program. Our faculty, trainees and staff benefit from robust partnerships with numerous Centers across campus including the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, McAllister Heart Institute, Marsico Lung Institute and Thurston Arthritis Research Center, to name a few.

TeachingWe provide a rigorous and competitive educational experience for a diverse population of graduate and professional trainees which enables them to succeed in their future careers. The Department has a long tradition of successfully training the next generation of scientists. Our newly-launched Curriculum in Cell Biology and Physiology offers an integrated training program for PhD students. In addition, the Department is home to a multitude of undergraduate, medical and clinical fellow trainees who are seeking avenues for intellectually-engaging and creative research experiences. Research scientists who train in the discipline of cell biology and physiology will benefit from being able to synergize their training from several vantage points. For example, the development of sophisticated genetic engineering tools enables us to test focused hypotheses on the multi-cellular diversity of organs and their cellular compositions. Likewise, these same genetic techniques, coupled with the ability to image cell behavior at unprecedented resolution and the application of -omics approaches, permits a broader exploration into how cells sense and respond to their environments, either within an organ or in response to different pathophysiological conditions. In these ways, research trainees in our Department can capitalize on rapid technological advances and successfully apply their findings to inform the fundamental processes of normal and pathological physiology and cell biological behaviors.

CaringWe serve the people of North Carolina, the United States and the international community, by excelling in our research and educational missions thereby promoting the health and well-being of individuals and communities locally, nationally and internationally. The Department of Cell Biology and Physiology has a strong commitment to fostering an environment of inclusion, diversity and wellness within the workplace, which lays the foundation for collaborative partnerships and creative exploration. We provide award-wining mentoring and professional development activities for individuals at all career stages. Our faculty and trainees actively participate in local and national service, giving back to our communities.

It is an exciting time for the Department, with six new faculty hires, the launch of our state-of-the-art Hooker Imaging Core Facility and remarkable accolades and recognition of our distinguished faculty and trainees. I hope that you will enjoy exploring our research and educational programs, and encourage you to contact us if you would like to join and support our missions.

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Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, School of ...

Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI) Appoints Dr. Ralph Kern As New COO, CMO – StreetInsider.com

By adminMarch 6, 2017Uncategorized

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BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies for neurodegenerative diseases, announced today the appointment of Ralph Z. Kern, MD, MHSc to the positions of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer, effective March 6, 2017. He joins BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics from Biogen, where he is currently Senior Vice President and Head of Worldwide Medical. His previous industry appointments include Head of Neuroscience Medical Unit at Novartis and Global Medical Director of Personalized Genetic Health at Genzyme Corporation.

"We are very excited to have Dr. Kern join our company as we advance our ALS clinical program and prepare for the start of Phase 3 testing of NurOwn," said Chaim Lebovits, President and Chief Executive Officer of BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics. "Dr. Kern brings to our company a unique combination of program management skills and medical expertise in neuroscience from his tenure as a successful corporate executive at Biogen, Novartis and Genzyme and an effective educator and ALS patient advocate from his service as neurology program director at the University of Toronto. We are very fortunate to have someone of his caliber and record of achievement join our team."

"I am thrilled to join BrainStorm and advance the Phase 3 program for NurOwn to seek an effective solution for ALS patients and their families," said Dr. Kern. "I am confident that BrainStorm will become the world leader in adult stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative disorders."

Dr. Kern is an influential leader, consensus builder, and strategic advisor with expertise translating science into global solutions for patient care. He was most recently Senior Vice President and Head of Worldwide Medical at Biogen, where he was a powerful contributor to Biogen's reputation as a world leader in biopharmaceutical innovation. He helped define the company's therapeutic area and medical/scientific strategies for Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy, Parkinson's, neuro-degeneration, and hemophilia.

From 2011 to 2014, Dr. Kern was Vice President and Head of Neuroscience Medical Unit at Novartis, where he developed and directed strategy, budget, and advanced medical-commercial governance model for neuroscience. His team executed the medical and strategic plan for Gilenya, currently administered to more than 150,000 patients worldwide.

From 2006 to 2011, Dr. Kern was Global Medical Director of Personalized Genetic Health at Genzyme Corporation (now Sanofi Genzyme) where he championed global medical affairs and medical and scientific activities for Fabry disease life cycle management. From 2003 to 2006, he was University Neurology Program Director at the University of Toronto, where he developed the curriculum for post-graduate education in neurology and neurology bioethics, defined and evaluated training requirements for students and faculty, and directed all operations of neurology post-graduate academic programs.

Previously, he was a Neurologist Consultant at Mount Sinai Hospital, where he played a central role in identifying and publishing the first scientific description of central nervous system complications from the West Nile Virus epidemic in 2003. From 1988 to 2001, he was Director, EMG, EEG, and Evoked Potential Laboratory at The Credit Valley Hospital, where he served on the Medicine Executive Committee and facilitated principal-investigator clinical trials for headache, epilepsy, and stroke.

Dr. Kern studied in the undergraduate Neurophysiology program at McGill University, received a Doctor of Medicine from Queen's University, completed post-graduate studies in neurology and neurophysiology at McGill University and a Master of Health Sciences (MHSc in Health Administration) from the University of Toronto.

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Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI) Appoints Dr. Ralph Kern As New COO, CMO - StreetInsider.com

Doctors reverse teen’s sickle cell disease with innovative gene therapy – Fox News

By adminMarch 6, 2017Uncategorized

A French teen who underwent a first-of-its-kind procedure 15 months ago to change his DNA shows no signs of the sickle cell disease he had been suffering from. The procedure, which was performed at Necker Childrens Hospital in Paris, may offer hope to millions of patients who suffer from sickle cell disease, BBC News reported.

Sickle cell disease is a severe hereditary form of anemia, which causes patients to develop abnormal hemoglobin in red blood cells. The botched hemoglobin causes the cells to form a crescent or sickle shape, making it difficult to maneuver throughout the body. Sickle-shaped cells are less flexible, and may get stuck to vessel walls causing a blockage, which can stop blood flow to vital tissues.

Before undergoing the procedure, treatment for the unidentified teen included traveling to the hospital each month for a blood transfusion to dilute the defective blood, BBC News reported. According to the report, the excessive amount of treatment caused severe internal damage, and at age 13 he already needed a hip replacement and had his spleen removed.

In a world first, doctors at Necker Childrens Hospital removed his bone marrow and genetically altered it using a virus to compensate for the defect in his DNA responsible for sickle cell disease, BBC News reported. The results published in the New England Journal of Medicine said he no longer uses medication, and has been making normal blood for the past 15 months.

So far the patient has no sign of the disease, no pain, no hospitalization, Philippe Leboulch, professor of medicine at the University of Paris, told BBC News. He no longer requires a transfusion so we are quite pleased with that.

Doctors said the treatment will have to be repeated in other patients as the teen is the trials first, but that it does show powerful potential.

Ive worked in gene therapy for a long time and we make small steps and know theres years more work, Dr. Deborah Gill, of the gene medicine research group at the University of Oxford, told BBC News. But here you have someone who has received gene therapy and has complete clinical remission thats a huge step forward.

It was not clear how much the procedure would cost, or whether there are plans to expand to other countries.

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Doctors reverse teen's sickle cell disease with innovative gene therapy - Fox News

Breakthrough Stem Cell Treatments, Stem Cell Therapy …

By adminMarch 5, 2017Stem Cell Treatment

Treatment

The Stem Cell treatment performed at our clinics is a painless medical procedure where Stem Cells (cellular building blocks) are usually administered intravenously and subcutaneously (under the skin). The whole procedure takes approximately one hour and has no known negative side effects.

Following the treatment, the Fetal Stem Cells will travel throughout the body, detecting damaged cells and tissue and attempts to restore them. The Fetal Stem Cells can also stimulate existing normal cells and tissues to operate at a higher level of function, boosting the bodys own repair mechanisms to aid in the healing process. These highly adaptive cells then remain in the body, continually locating and repairing any damage they encounter.

As with any medical treatment, safety should be of the highest priority. The Stem Cells used in our treatment undergo extensive screening for possible infection and impurities.

Utilizing tests more sophisticated than those regularly used in the United States for Stem Cell research and transplant. Our testing process ensures we use only the healthiest cells to enable the safest and most effective Fetal Stem Cell treatment possible. And, unlike other types of Stem Cells, there is no danger of the bodys rejection of Fetal Stem Cells due to the fact they are immune privileged. This means that you can give the cells to any patient without matching, use of immunosuppressive drugs and without rejection. This unique quality eliminates the need for drugs used to suppress the immune system, which can leave a patient exposed to serious infections.

With over 3000 patients treated, Stem Cell Of America has achieved positive results with a wide variety of illnesses, conditions and injuries. Often, in cases where the diseases continued to worsen, our patients have reported substantial improvements following the Stem Cell treatment.

Patients have experienced favorable developments such as reduction or elimination of pain, increased strength and mobility, improved cognitive function, higher tolerance for chemotherapy, and quicker healing and recovery.

To view follow up letters from patients, please visit the patient experiences page on our website.

All statements, opinions, and advice on this page is provided for educational information only. It is not a substitute for proper medical diagnosis and care. Like all medical treatments and procedures, results may significantly vary and positive results may not always be achieved. Please contact us so we may evaluate your specific case.

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Breakthrough Stem Cell Treatments, Stem Cell Therapy ...

Stem cell treatment may restore vision to patients with damaged corneas – Online Athens

By adminMarch 5, 2017Stem Cell Treatment

Researchers working as part of the University of Georgias Regenerative Bioscience Center have developed a new way to identify and sort stem cells that may one day allow clinicians to restore vision to people with damaged corneas using the patients own eye tissue. They published their findings in Biophysical Journal.

The cornea is a transparent layer of tissue covering the front of the eye, and its health is maintained by a group of cells called limbal stem cells. But when these cells are damaged by trauma or disease, the cornea loses its ability to self-repair.

Damage to the limbus, which is where the clear part of the eye meets the white part of the eye, can cause the cornea to break down very rapidly, said James Lauderdale, an associate professor of cellular biology in UGAs Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and paper co-author. The only way to repair the cornea right now is do a limbal cell transplant from donated tissue.

In their study, researchers used a new type of highly sensitive atomic force microscopy, or AFM, to analyze eye cell cultures. Created by Todd Sulchek, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech, the technique allowed researchers to probe and exert force on individual cells to learn more about the cells overall health and its ability to turn into different types of mature cells.

They found that limbal stem cells were softer and more pliable than other cells, meaning they could use this simple measure as a rapid and cost-effective way to identify cells from a patients own tissue that are suitable for transplantation.

Todds technology is unique in the tiniest and most sensitive detection to change, said Lauderdale. Just think about trying to gently dimple or prod the top of an individual cell without killing it; with conventional AFM its close to impossible.

Building on their findings related to cell softness, the research team also developed a microfluidic cell sorting device capable of filtering out specific cells from a tissue sample.

With this device, the team can collect the patients own tissue, sort and culture the cells and then place them back into the patient all in one day, said Lauderdale. It can take weeks to perform this task using conventional methods.

The researchers are quick to caution that more tests must be done before this technique is used in human patients, but it may one day serve as a viable treatment for the more than 1 million Americans that lose their vision to damaged corneas every year.

The group first started this research with the hope of helping children with aniridia, an inherited malformation of the eye that leads to breakdown of the cornea at an early age.

Because aniridia affects only one in 60,000 children, few organizations are willing to commit the resources necessary to combat the disease, Lauderdale said.

Our first goal in working with such a rare disease was to help this small population of children, because we feel a close connection to all of them, says Lauderdale, who has worked with aniridia patients for many years. However, at the end of the day this technology could help hundreds of thousands of people, like the military who are also interested in corneal damage, common in desert conditions.

Steven Stice, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, who plays an important role in fostering cross-interdisciplinary collaboration as director of the RBC, initially brought the researchers together and encouraged a seed grant application through the center for Regenerative Engineering and Medicine, or REM, a joint collaboration between Emory University, Georgia Tech and UGA.

A culture is developing around seed funding that is all about interdisciplinary collaboration, sharing of resources, and coming together to make things happen, said Stice. Government funding agencies place a high premium on combining skills and disciplines. We can no longer afford to work in an isolated laboratory using a singular approach.

The REM seed funding program is intended to stimulate new, unconventional collaborative research and requires equal partnership of faculty from two of the participating institutions.

We tend to get siloed experimentally, says Lauderdale. To a biologist like me, all cells are very different and all atomic force microscopes are the same. To an engineer like Todd its just the opposite.

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Stem cell treatment may restore vision to patients with damaged corneas - Online Athens

Opinion/Commentary: Global stem cell therapy market to showcase growth – The Daily Progress

By adminMarch 5, 2017Stell Cell Research

LONDON Technavio analysts forecast the global stem cell therapy market to grow at a compound annual growth rate of close to 37 percent during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global stem cell therapy market for 2017-2021. To determine the market size, the study considers revenue generated from allogenic and autogenic stem cell therapies.

The Americas are the largest regional segment of the global stem cell therapy market, responsible for generating over 56 percent of the total revenue (2016 figures). The region is expected to continue market dominance through the forecast period, driven by increasing demand for stem cell therapy products and investments into R&D.

Technavio analysts highlight the following factors as contributing to the growth of the global stem cell therapy market:

Increase in federal funding in stem cell therapy.

Sapna Jha, one of the lead research analysts at Technavio for medical imaging research, says, Many stem cell research institutes and small companies are involved in cutting-edge R&D and are yielding encouraging results. These institutions are witnessing an increased flow of investments from federal organizations, due to the realization of the importance of regenerative medicine.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health, a major funding government organization invested approximately USD 1.5 billion in stem cell research projects in 2016. Similarly, several state-level organizations such as California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has contributed USD 3 billion to stem cell research in 2014. Such funding will help various research institutes to discover and develop regenerative medicines, which will boost the global regenerative medicine market enormously.

Growing demand for personalized medicine.

The health care sector is creating a high demand for personalized medicine, which could offer game-changing opportunities for the vendors. These medicines offer treatments based on the individual characteristics, needs, and preferences, which will vastly improve the quality of health care. Individuals are increasingly banking their stem cells for future treatments. Research organizations are also extensively exploring ways to develop personalized treatments with stem cells, which could eventually erase the conventional medicine system and help in the effective treatment of various diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

Demand for development of effective drugs for cardiology and degenerative disorders.

There has been an increased demand to develop effective drugs for cardiology and degenerative disorders, for which there were no effective treatment plans before the advent of stem therapies. The discovery of possible cardiac stem cells uncovered new arenas to repair hearts injured due to acute myocardial infarction or coronary artery disease, says Sapna.

Researchers are studying and developing approximately 19 product candidates for the treatment of cardiac disorders, with eight of them in Phase III, and six in Phase II.

Technavio is a global technology research and advisory company. This report was made available through The Associated Press.

UC Davis licenses novel compound that helps stem cells regenerate bone – HealthCanal.com (press release) (blog)

By adminMarch 4, 2017Stem Cell Medicine

The University of California, Davis, has reached a licensing agreement with Regenerative Arthritis and Bone Medicine (RABOME) for a class of drugs developed at the university that hold potential for treating diseases associated with bone loss and inflammatory arthritis.

From Left: Fred Tileston (RABOME), Ruiwu Liu, Nancy Lane, Christy Pifer, Wei Yao, Kit Lam (UC Davis Health), and Jiwei Chen (RABOME).

The license, negotiated by the InnovationAccess team within the UC Davis Office of Research, provides the university-affiliated startup with rights to four families of patents and patent applications related to the novel composition of a hybrid molecule, known as LLP2A-alendronate, which has been found to effectively direct mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to induce bone regeneration in animal models. The compound works by guiding transplanted and endogenous MSCs to the surface of the bone where they differentiate into bone-forming cells, thereby increasing bone mass and strength. These cells are also immune-modulating, which helps to reduce inflammation at target sites.

The use of stem cells as therapeutic agents is a growing field, but directing stem cells to travel and adhere to the surface of bone for bone formation has been an elusive goal in regenerative medicine.

There are many stem cells, even in elderly people, but they do not readily migrate to bone, said Wei Yao, co-inventor and associate professor of internal medicine at UC Davis. Finding a molecule that attaches to stem cells and guides them to the targets we need provides a real breakthrough.

Translating discovery into societal and commercial impact

Late last year, RABOME received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin phase I clinical trials to evaluate the safety of the drug in humans. The study sites are currently screening patients for enrollment.

We are pursuing several indications for use, but our initial focus is in developing a treatment for osteonecrosis, a disease caused by reduced blood flow to bones, says Fred Tileston, president and chief executive officer RABOME, which is a California-based company. As many as 20,000 people per year in the United States develop osteonecrosis.

RABOME also plans to pursue other indications for use including fracture healing, osteoporosis and inflammatory arthritis.

We are pleased that this very promising technology is being shepherded by Mr. Tileston, who is an experienced business leader and entrepreneur, said Dushyant Pathak, associate vice chancellor for Technology Management and Corporate Relations at UC Davis. It is exciting to see the teams progress in translating the discovery into commercial and societal impact.

Breaking barriers through cross-discipline collaboration

The development of the novel therapy is the result of a successful research collaboration between two teams at UC Davis: a group of experts on bone health, led by Nancy Lane and Wei Yao from the UC Davis Center for Musculoskeletal Health, and a synergistic group of medicinal chemists led by Kit Lam and Ruiwu Liu from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine.

This research was a collaboration of stem cell biologists, biochemists, translational scientists, a bone biologist and clinicians, said Lane, endowed professor of medicine, rheumatology and aging research, anda principal investigator. It was a truly fruitful team effort with remarkable results.

Lane received a Disease Team Therapy Development research grant in 2012 from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) which, along with federal grants from the National Institutes of Health, supported the preclinical research. CIRM was established in 2004 via California Proposition 71 to fund stem cell research in attempt to accelerate and improve treatments for patients where current needs are unmet.

Conflict of interest disclosure

Because Tileston and Lane are married, UC Davis conducted a conflict of interest review of its licensing agreement with RABOME. The university determined that it did not rise to the level of a financial conflict of interest under NIH rules, which require a finding of a direct and significant impact.

Send email Phone: 916-734-9048

AJ Chelin, Office of Research Send email Phone:530-752-1101

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UC Davis licenses novel compound that helps stem cells regenerate bone - HealthCanal.com (press release) (blog)

Stem cell treatment may restore vision to patients with damaged corneas – ScienceBlog.com (blog)

By adminMarch 4, 2017Stem Cell Treatment

ScienceBlog.com (blog)

Stem cell treatment may restore vision to patients with damaged corneas
ScienceBlog.com (blog)
Researchers working as part of the University of Georgia's Regenerative Bioscience Center have developed a new way to identify and sort stem cells that may one day allow clinicians to restore vision to people with damaged corneas using the patient's ...
Stem cells offering faint cure possibility for glaucomaModernMedicine
Exclusive: CBMG CEO Talks Stem-Cell Therapies, Cancer Treatments, Financials & The Chinese MarketBenzinga
Global Stem Cell Therapy Consumption 2016 Market Research ReportMedgadget (blog)
Futurity: Research News -Bristol Observer (registration) -Street Register
all 13 news articles »

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Stem cell treatment may restore vision to patients with damaged corneas - ScienceBlog.com (blog)

Artificial embryo grown in a dish from two types of stem cells – New Scientist

By adminMarch 3, 2017Embryonic Stem Cells

By Andy Coghlan

Sarah Harrison and Gaelle Recher, Zernicka-Goetz Lab, University of Cambridge

Artificial mouse embryos grown from stem cells in a dish could help unlock secrets of early development and infertility that have until now evaded us.

Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz at the University of Cambridge and her team made the embryos using embryonic stem cells, the type of cells found in embryos that can mature into any type of tissue in the body.

The trick was to grow these alongside trophoblast stem cells, which normally produce the placenta. By growing these two types of cell separately and then combining them in a special gel matrix, the two mixed and started to develop together.

After around four-and-a-half days, the embryos resembled normal mouse embryos that were about to start differentiating into different body tissues and organs.

They are very similar to natural mouse embryos, says Zernicka-Goetz. We put the two types of stem cells together which has never been done before to allow them to speak to each other. We saw that the cells could self-organise themselves without our help.

This is the first time something resembling an embryo has been made from stem cells, without using an egg in some way. Techniques such as cloning, as done for Dolly the sheep and other animals, bypass the need for sperm, but still require an egg cell.

The artificial embryos are providing new insights into how embryos organise themselves and grow, says Zernicka-Goetz. The team engineered the artificial embryos so the cell types fluoresced in different colours, to reveal their movements and behaviour as the embryos go through crucial changes.

Mammal embryos were already known to start as a symmetrical ball, then elongate, form a central cavity and start developing a type of cell layer called mesoderm, which ultimately goes on to form bone and muscle.

We didnt know before how embryos form this cavity, but weve now found the mechanism for it and the sequential steps by which it forms, says Zernicka-Goetz. Its building up the foundations for the whole body plan.

The work is a great addition to the stem cell field and could be extended to human stem cell populations, says Leonard Zon at Boston Childrens Hospital, Massachusetts. Using the system, the factors that participate in embryo development could be better studied and this could help us understand early events of embryogenesis.

But Robin Lovell-Badge at the Francis Crick Institute in London says that the embryos lack two other types of cell layer required to develop the bodies organs: ectoderm, which forms skin and the central nervous system, and endoderm, which makes our internal organs.

Zernicka-Goetz hopes to see these types of cell layers develop in future experiments by adding stem cells that normally form the yolk sac, a third structure involved in embryonic development, to the mix.

If a similar feat can be achieved using human stem cells, this could tell us much about the earliest stages of our development. Current research is limited by the number of excess embryos that are donated from IVF procedures. But the new technique could produce a limitless supply, making it easier to conduct in-depth research. These artificial embryos may also be easier to tinker with, to see what effect different factors have in early embryogenesis.

Disrupting development in this way may provide new insights into the causes of abnormal embryo development and miscarriage. You would be able to understand the principles that govern each stage of development. These are not normally accessible, because they happen inside the mother, says Zernicka-Goetz.

But it is doubtful that this work could ever lead to fully grown babies in the lab. Lovell-Badge says the artificial embryos are unlikely to develop in vitro much further than shown in the study, as they would soon need the supply of nutrients and oxygen that a placenta normally channels from the mother.

Were not planning to make a mouse in the lab using stem cells, says Zernicka-Goetz. But she is hopeful that adding yolk sac stem cells will allow these artificial embryos to survive long enough to study the beginnings of organs like the heart.

Journal reference: Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.aal1810

Read more: Its time to relax the rules on growing human embryos in the lab