Modeling embryo-endometrial interface recapitulating human embryo implantation.
Shun ShibataShun EndoLuis A E NagaiEri H KobayashiAkira OikeNorio KobayashiAkane KitamuraTakeshi HoriYuji NashimotoRyuichiro NakatoHirotaka HamadaHirokazu KajiChie KikutakeMikita SuyamaMasatoshi SaitoNobuo YaegashiHiroaki OkaeTakahiro ArimaPublished in: Science advances (2024)
The initiation of human pregnancy is marked by the implantation of an embryo into the uterine environment; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. To address this knowledge gap, we developed hormone-responsive endometrial organoids (EMO), termed apical-out (AO)-EMO, which emulate the in vivo architecture of endometrial tissue. The AO-EMO comprise an exposed apical epithelium surface, dense stromal cells, and a self-formed endothelial network. When cocultured with human embryonic stem cell-derived blastoids, the three-dimensional feto-maternal assembloid system recapitulates critical implantation stages, including apposition, adhesion, and invasion. Endometrial epithelial cells were subsequently disrupted by syncytial cells, which invade and fuse with endometrial stromal cells. We validated this fusion of syncytiotrophoblasts and stromal cells using human blastocysts. Our model provides a foundation for investigating embryo implantation and feto-maternal interactions, offering valuable insights for advancing reproductive medicine.
Keyphrases
- endothelial cells
- pregnancy outcomes
- induced pluripotent stem cells
- endometrial cancer
- pluripotent stem cells
- healthcare
- induced apoptosis
- body mass index
- escherichia coli
- cell death
- signaling pathway
- preterm birth
- physical activity
- pseudomonas aeruginosa
- cell cycle arrest
- functional connectivity
- pi k akt
- biofilm formation
- weight loss