Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed “hematoids,” lab-grown embryo-like structures that produce human blood stem cells. This breakthrough could help study blood disorders like leukaemia and generate stem cells for long-term transplants
Stem cell-derived embryo models are crucial for advancing our knowledge of early human development. PIC COURTESY/University of Cambridge
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found a new way to produce human blood cells in the lab that mimics how they form naturally in embryos. Their discovery could pave the way to simulate blood disorders like leukaemia and produce long-lasting stem cells for transplants.
The team used human stem cells to create three-dimensional, embryo-like structures that replicate early human development, including the formation of blood stem cells. These cells, known as hematopoietic stem cells, are the body’s building blocks for every type of blood cell, from oxygen-carrying red cells to immune-boosting white cells.
The Cambridge scientists call their structures “hematoids.” These self-organising clusters start producing blood after about two weeks in the lab, mimicking the process seen in human embryos. Hematoids can’t develop into embryos because they lack tissues such as the yolk sac and placenta. But their ability to form blood offers a powerful window into early human development.
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