UK scientists grew a human spine in a lab via stem cells
Francis Crick Institute scientists developed a rudimentary human spine via stem cells in a laboratory.
They have created a “trunk-like structure” that is around 1 to 2 millimeters long.
Despite its simplicity, it contains all of the neural tissues and bone stem cells in a pattern found in human embryos.
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FCI reports the discovery can help scientists study birth defects affecting the spine and spinal cord.
Moreover, it can open further insights into health conditions affecting intervertebral discs.
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Researchers were able to develop stem cell models for spine and nervous system development. https://t.co/cTBYkqzFH4
— Tech Times (@TechTimes_News) December 20, 2024
The scientists started their experiment by creating a notochord.
Senior author James Briscoe says it “acts like a GPS for the developing embryo.”
The notochord establishes the body’s main axis, guiding the human spine and nervous system formation.
Briscoe and his team analyzed chicken embryos and compared them to mice and monkeys.
Consequently, the researchers developed the timing and sequence of molecular signals needed to create a stem cell with notochord tissue.
The scientists explained that the cells only created a “trunk-like structure” because they only had a stem cell model, not an actual embryo.
Still, this minuscule structure contained all the bone stem cells and neural tissues arranged according to the pattern found in human embryos.
Tiago Rito, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Developmental Dynamics Laboratory, told Francis Crick Institute:
“What’s particularly exciting is that the notochord in our lab-grown structure appears to function similarly to how it would in a developing embryo.”
“It sends out chemical signals that help organize surrounding tissue, just as it would during typical development.”
Developmental Dynamics Laboratory group leader James Briscoe commended that lab-grown spine could help study health conditions further.
“Now that we’ve created a model which works, this opens doors to study developmental conditions which we’ve been in the dark about.”
