近日，《自然-通訊》網(wǎng)絡雜志上刊登的一項研究成果表明,，英國諾丁漢大學科研人員開發(fā)出一種能將受精卵在人工環(huán)境下培育更長時間的設備,，該設備被形象地稱為“人造子宮”,。
此前的相關技術最多能將受精卵在人工環(huán)境中培育4天，然后必須移植回子宮中,，不然受精卵就會死亡,。而諾丁漢大學研究人員開發(fā)出一種用分子聚合物制成的裝置，它能夠模擬子宮中柔軟的組織,。用實驗鼠受精卵進行的實驗顯示,，受精卵在這個“人造子宮”中可以培育到第8天。
這幾天的差距在胚胎的發(fā)育中非常重要,。在前4天,，受精卵還只能發(fā)育到囊胚期，是一個由幾十個細胞組成的小球,；而在第4天至第8天,，會出現(xiàn)一些器官發(fā)育的跡象。
在本次研究中,，研究人員觀察到有的細胞開始與主體分離,，它們?nèi)绻^續(xù)發(fā)育就會形成頭部。領導研究的沙克謝夫教授說,，這項成果使研究人員能夠前所未有地觀察胚胎發(fā)育,。
他說，每個人都是從這個階段發(fā)育過來的,，如果能夠通過觀察胚胎發(fā)育探清器官如何形成的奧秘,，將有助于再生醫(yī)學上模擬再現(xiàn)器官形成的過程，用于治療疾病,。此外這項成果還可能有助改善人工受孕技術,。(生物谷 Bioon.com)
doi:10.1038/ncomms1671
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Dynamics of anterior–posterior axis formation in the developing mouse embryo
Samantha A. Morris,Seema Grewal,, Florencia Barrios,Sameer N. Patankar, Bernhard Strauss, Lee Buttery, Morgan Alexander, Kevin M. Shakesheff & Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
The development of an anterior–posterior (AP) polarity is a crucial process that in the mouse has been very difficult to analyse, because it takes place as the embryo implants within the mother. To overcome this obstacle, we have established an in-vitro culture system that allows us to follow the step-wise development of anterior visceral endoderm (AVE), critical for establishing AP polarity. Here we use this system to show that the AVE originates in the implanting blastocyst, but that additional cells subsequently acquire AVE characteristics. These 'older' and 'younger' AVE domains coalesce as the egg cylinder emerges from the blastocyst structure. Importantly, we show that AVE migration is led by cells expressing the highest levels of AVE marker, highlighting that asymmetry within the AVE domain dictates the direction of its migration. Ablation of such leading cells prevents AVE migration, suggesting that these cells are important for correct establishment of the AP axis.
