Self-organization of the in vitro attached human embryo

In this study led by Ali Brivanlou of Rockefeller University, scientists report the development of an in vitro “attachment platform”: a system that allows the study of the post-implantation development phase of the human embryo. In this arrangement, human blastocysts self-organize to display key events of development that occur in vivo. This novel method builds upon a previous study reported in mice. Deglincerti and colleagues point to key developmental differences between human and mouse embryos, a species-specificity that emphasizes the need to study human embryos to answer questions about human development. This study raises the prospect of studying human embryos in vitro beyond the 14-day rule’s two-week limit.