Chinese scientists said they have reconstructed a 3D model of a human embryo within two to three weeks after fertilisation, which opens a new door into very early human embryonic development.
Out of ethical concerns, in-vitro culture of human embryos is limited to 14 days, and therefore, the human embryo growth between 14 and 21 days after fertilization is usually considered a “black box.”
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The researchers from the Institute of Zoology, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and China Agricultural University conducted high-resolution profiling on 38,562 gene spots of a human embryo and then constructed its 3D model by integrating gene expression patterns and spatial information.
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Also, they have investigated the dynamic activity of signaling pathways along the embryonic body axis, according to the study published in the journal Cell on Thursday.
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The study has far-reaching clinical implications for understanding miscarriages and fetal disorders in early embryonic development, said the researchers.
The HDBR Atlas is a unique resource which aims to facilitate the understanding of the development of the human embryo and fetus.
The atlas began as the Electronic Atlas of the Developing Human Brain (EADHB), which was funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Human Brain Project (grant numbers: HD39928-02 followed by R01 MH070370).
The long-term aim of this work was to create a digital atlas comprising 3D reconstructions from Carnegie Stage 12 to 23, generated using Optical Projection Tomography (OPT; Sharpe et al 2002), and annotations of the 3D models linked to an anatomical database.
Xinhua
