Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-p566r Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-17T11:03:28.446Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Embryoid bodies: an in vitro model of mouse embryogenesis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2001

Isabelle Desbaillets
Affiliation:
Institute of Physiology and Anatomy, University of Zürich-Irchel, Switzerland
Urs Ziegler
Affiliation:
Institute of Physiology and Anatomy, University of Zürich-Irchel, Switzerland
Peter Groscurth
Affiliation:
Institute of Physiology and Anatomy, University of Zürich-Irchel, Switzerland
Max Gassmann
Affiliation:
Institute of Physiology and Anatomy, University of Zürich-Irchel, Switzerland
Get access

Abstract

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cells isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts. ES cells are able to differentiate into the three primitive layers (endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm) of the organism, including the germline. To study early stages of development, as well as to investigate the impact of a gene knock-out in vitro, ES cells are differentiated into three-dimensional structures called embryoid bodies, because of their ability to mimick post-implantation embryonic tissues. This review summarises the work on ES cell differentiation into haematopoietic and vascular cells, neuronal and glial cells, myocytes, and adipocytes, using this in vitro model of early embryogenesis. We also present the potential of this method to analyse the impact of genetic alterations in vitro

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Physiological Society 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)