Recent insights into mammalian natural and synthetic ex utero embryogenesis br

Research on early postimplantation mammalian development has been limited by the small size and intrauterine confinement of the developing embryos. Owing to the inability to observe and manipulate living embryos at these stages in utero, the establishment of robust ex utero embryo-culture systems that capture prolonged periods of mouse development has been an important research goal. In the last few years, these methods have been significantly improved by the optimization and enhancement of in vitro culture systems sustaining embryo development during peri-implantation stages for several species, and more recently, proper growth of natural mouse embryos from pregastrulation to late organogenesis stages and of embryonic stem cell (ES)-derived synthetic embryo models until early organogenesis stages. Here, we discuss the most recent ex utero embryo-culture systems established to date for rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans. We emphasize their technical aspects and developmental timeframe and provide insights into the new opportunities that these methods will contribute to the study of natural and synthetic mammalian embryogenesis and the stem-cell field.

Automated summary

Research on early postimplantation mammalian development has been limited due to the small size and intrauterine confinement of the embryos. However, recent advancements in ex utero embryo-culture systems have allowed for successful cultivation of embryos from rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans, providing new opportunities for studying natural and synthetic mammalian embryogenesis and the field of stem cells.