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A research team from the University of Turin, in collaboration with the University of Padua, has recreated in the laboratory a three-dimensional model of a human embryo using stem cells. This model makes it possible to closely observe the initial stages of embryo organization at the moment of implantation in the uterus—one of the most inaccessible phases to study directly.
The results of the study have been published in Nature Cell Biology in the article “A human epiblast model reveals dynamic TGFβ-mediated control of epithelial identity during mammalian epiblast development.”
In the earliest phases of embryonic formation, cells arrange themselves into an orderly layer, creating a small internal cavity—a sort of hollow sphere. This cavity will become the future amniotic cavity, where the fetus will grow during the following months of pregnancy. The model also allows researchers to observe a second key developmental step: when some cells begin to differentiate and migrate, organizing the space where the future organs will take shape.
Since the signals that guide these processes in the human embryo are still unknown, the researchers used advanced genomics and genetic-editing techniques to identify them. The team discovered that a cell-to-cell communication signal called TGF-beta coordinates the earliest phases of cellular organization and the formation of the amniotic cavity. This occurs through a key regulatory gene, ZNF398, which controls many other genes involved in building the embryo’s three-dimensional structure. Later on, a similar signal, Activin A, triggers cell migrations and the differentiation processes required for organ formation. To confirm these findings, the researchers also carried out experiments on mouse embryos, showing that these mechanisms are shared across different species.
The first stages of development after implantation are extremely delicate and often fail to progress: only one embryo out of three manages to implant and develop successfully. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these early phases could therefore help improve birth rates and reduce risks and malformations.
“The very earliest stages of development are almost impossible to observe in human embryos,” explains Professor Graziano Martello of the University of Padua, “both for ethical and practical reasons. Our 3D model reproduces two fundamental moments: the formation of the amniotic cavity and the initial arrangement of the cells that will give rise to the body’s organs.”
“Thanks to high-resolution genetic analyses,” adds Professor Salvatore Oliviero, head of the group at the University of Turin, “we identified the genes active in each cell and the main regulators of this delicate phase of development. These data help us understand how cells make their earliest identity decisions and also reveal parallels with processes involved in tumor formation.”
The embryonic model developed is highly reliable and easily reproducible, because each of its components has been precisely defined. This makes it possible to investigate in detail which genes and signals are essential at different moments of development.
“Another strength of this study,” notes researcher Gianluca Amadei of the University of Padua, “is the use of stem cells and models from different species, which helps us understand how evolutionarily conserved these mechanisms are, going beyond the limits of traditional animal models.”
In addition to clarifying the signals that drive embryonic development, these models also make it possible to understand which nutrients are essential in these early phases, or which drugs might interfere with them. Finally, deepening our knowledge of these embryonic models may support the development of new ethical and scientific guidelines for studying early human embryonic development.
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The results of the study have been published in Nature Cell Biology in the article “A human epiblast model reveals dynamic TGFβ-mediated control of epithelial identity during mammalian epiblast development.”
In the earliest phases of embryonic formation, cells arrange themselves into an orderly layer, creating a small internal cavity—a sort of hollow sphere. This cavity will become the future amniotic cavity, where the fetus will grow during the following months of pregnancy. The model also allows researchers to observe a second key developmental step: when some cells begin to differentiate and migrate, organizing the space where the future organs will take shape.
Since the signals that guide these processes in the human embryo are still unknown, the researchers used advanced genomics and genetic-editing techniques to identify them. The team discovered that a cell-to-cell communication signal called TGF-beta coordinates the earliest phases of cellular organization and the formation of the amniotic cavity. This occurs through a key regulatory gene, ZNF398, which controls many other genes involved in building the embryo’s three-dimensional structure. Later on, a similar signal, Activin A, triggers cell migrations and the differentiation processes required for organ formation. To confirm these findings, the researchers also carried out experiments on mouse embryos, showing that these mechanisms are shared across different species.
The first stages of development after implantation are extremely delicate and often fail to progress: only one embryo out of three manages to implant and develop successfully. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these early phases could therefore help improve birth rates and reduce risks and malformations.
“The very earliest stages of development are almost impossible to observe in human embryos,” explains Professor Graziano Martello of the University of Padua, “both for ethical and practical reasons. Our 3D model reproduces two fundamental moments: the formation of the amniotic cavity and the initial arrangement of the cells that will give rise to the body’s organs.”
“Thanks to high-resolution genetic analyses,” adds Professor Salvatore Oliviero, head of the group at the University of Turin, “we identified the genes active in each cell and the main regulators of this delicate phase of development. These data help us understand how cells make their earliest identity decisions and also reveal parallels with processes involved in tumor formation.”
The embryonic model developed is highly reliable and easily reproducible, because each of its components has been precisely defined. This makes it possible to investigate in detail which genes and signals are essential at different moments of development.
“Another strength of this study,” notes researcher Gianluca Amadei of the University of Padua, “is the use of stem cells and models from different species, which helps us understand how evolutionarily conserved these mechanisms are, going beyond the limits of traditional animal models.”
In addition to clarifying the signals that drive embryonic development, these models also make it possible to understand which nutrients are essential in these early phases, or which drugs might interfere with them. Finally, deepening our knowledge of these embryonic models may support the development of new ethical and scientific guidelines for studying early human embryonic development.
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A research team from the University of Turin, in collaboration with the University of Padua, has recreated in the laboratory a three-dimensional model of a human embryo using stem cells. This model makes it possible to closely observe the initial stages of embryo organization at the moment of implantation in the uterus—one of the most inaccessible phases to study directly.
The results of the study have been published in Nature Cell Biology in the article “A human epiblast model reveals dynamic TGFβ-mediated control of epithelial identity during mammalian epiblast development.”
In the earliest phases of embryonic formation, cells arrange themselves into an orderly layer, creating a small internal cavity—a sort of hollow sphere. This cavity will become the future amniotic cavity, where the fetus will grow during the following months of pregnancy. The model also allows researchers to observe a second key developmental step: when some cells begin to differentiate and migrate, organizing the space where the future organs will take shape.
Since the signals that guide these processes in the human embryo are still unknown, the researchers used advanced genomics and genetic-editing techniques to identify them. The team discovered that a cell-to-cell communication signal called TGF-beta coordinates the earliest phases of cellular organization and the formation of the amniotic cavity. This occurs through a key regulatory gene, ZNF398, which controls many other genes involved in building the embryo’s three-dimensional structure. Later on, a similar signal, Activin A, triggers cell migrations and the differentiation processes required for organ formation. To confirm these findings, the researchers also carried out experiments on mouse embryos, showing that these mechanisms are shared across different species.
The first stages of development after implantation are extremely delicate and often fail to progress: only one embryo out of three manages to implant and develop successfully. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these early phases could therefore help improve birth rates and reduce risks and malformations.
“The very earliest stages of development are almost impossible to observe in human embryos,” explains Professor Graziano Martello of the University of Padua, “both for ethical and practical reasons. Our 3D model reproduces two fundamental moments: the formation of the amniotic cavity and the initial arrangement of the cells that will give rise to the body’s organs.”
“Thanks to high-resolution genetic analyses,” adds Professor Salvatore Oliviero, head of the group at the University of Turin, “we identified the genes active in each cell and the main regulators of this delicate phase of development. These data help us understand how cells make their earliest identity decisions and also reveal parallels with processes involved in tumor formation.”
The embryonic model developed is highly reliable and easily reproducible, because each of its components has been precisely defined. This makes it possible to investigate in detail which genes and signals are essential at different moments of development.
“Another strength of this study,” notes researcher Gianluca Amadei of the University of Padua, “is the use of stem cells and models from different species, which helps us understand how evolutionarily conserved these mechanisms are, going beyond the limits of traditional animal models.”
In addition to clarifying the signals that drive embryonic development, these models also make it possible to understand which nutrients are essential in these early phases, or which drugs might interfere with them. Finally, deepening our knowledge of these embryonic models may support the development of new ethical and scientific guidelines for studying early human embryonic development.
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The results of the study have been published in Nature Cell Biology in the article “A human epiblast model reveals dynamic TGFβ-mediated control of epithelial identity during mammalian epiblast development.”
In the earliest phases of embryonic formation, cells arrange themselves into an orderly layer, creating a small internal cavity—a sort of hollow sphere. This cavity will become the future amniotic cavity, where the fetus will grow during the following months of pregnancy. The model also allows researchers to observe a second key developmental step: when some cells begin to differentiate and migrate, organizing the space where the future organs will take shape.
Since the signals that guide these processes in the human embryo are still unknown, the researchers used advanced genomics and genetic-editing techniques to identify them. The team discovered that a cell-to-cell communication signal called TGF-beta coordinates the earliest phases of cellular organization and the formation of the amniotic cavity. This occurs through a key regulatory gene, ZNF398, which controls many other genes involved in building the embryo’s three-dimensional structure. Later on, a similar signal, Activin A, triggers cell migrations and the differentiation processes required for organ formation. To confirm these findings, the researchers also carried out experiments on mouse embryos, showing that these mechanisms are shared across different species.
The first stages of development after implantation are extremely delicate and often fail to progress: only one embryo out of three manages to implant and develop successfully. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these early phases could therefore help improve birth rates and reduce risks and malformations.
“The very earliest stages of development are almost impossible to observe in human embryos,” explains Professor Graziano Martello of the University of Padua, “both for ethical and practical reasons. Our 3D model reproduces two fundamental moments: the formation of the amniotic cavity and the initial arrangement of the cells that will give rise to the body’s organs.”
“Thanks to high-resolution genetic analyses,” adds Professor Salvatore Oliviero, head of the group at the University of Turin, “we identified the genes active in each cell and the main regulators of this delicate phase of development. These data help us understand how cells make their earliest identity decisions and also reveal parallels with processes involved in tumor formation.”
The embryonic model developed is highly reliable and easily reproducible, because each of its components has been precisely defined. This makes it possible to investigate in detail which genes and signals are essential at different moments of development.
“Another strength of this study,” notes researcher Gianluca Amadei of the University of Padua, “is the use of stem cells and models from different species, which helps us understand how evolutionarily conserved these mechanisms are, going beyond the limits of traditional animal models.”
In addition to clarifying the signals that drive embryonic development, these models also make it possible to understand which nutrients are essential in these early phases, or which drugs might interfere with them. Finally, deepening our knowledge of these embryonic models may support the development of new ethical and scientific guidelines for studying early human embryonic development.
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The results of the study have been published in Nature Cell Biology in the article “A human epiblast model reveals dynamic TGFβ-mediated control of epithelial identity during mammalian epiblast development.”
In the earliest phases of embryonic formation, cells arrange themselves into an orderly layer, creating a small internal cavity—a sort of hollow sphere. This cavity will become the future amniotic cavity, where the fetus will grow during the following months of pregnancy. The model also allows researchers to observe a second key developmental step: when some cells begin to differentiate and migrate, organizing the space where the future organs will take shape.
Since the signals that guide these processes in the human embryo are still unknown, the researchers used advanced genomics and genetic-editing techniques to identify them. The team discovered that a cell-to-cell communication signal called TGF-beta coordinates the earliest phases of cellular organization and the formation of the amniotic cavity. This occurs through a key regulatory gene, ZNF398, which controls many other genes involved in building the embryo’s three-dimensional structure. Later on, a similar signal, Activin A, triggers cell migrations and the differentiation processes required for organ formation. To confirm these findings, the researchers also carried out experiments on mouse embryos, showing that these mechanisms are shared across different species.
The first stages of development after implantation are extremely delicate and often fail to progress: only one embryo out of three manages to implant and develop successfully. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these early phases could therefore help improve birth rates and reduce risks and malformations.
“The very earliest stages of development are almost impossible to observe in human embryos,” explains Professor Graziano Martello of the University of Padua, “both for ethical and practical reasons. Our 3D model reproduces two fundamental moments: the formation of the amniotic cavity and the initial arrangement of the cells that will give rise to the body’s organs.”
“Thanks to high-resolution genetic analyses,” adds Professor Salvatore Oliviero, head of the group at the University of Turin, “we identified the genes active in each cell and the main regulators of this delicate phase of development. These data help us understand how cells make their earliest identity decisions and also reveal parallels with processes involved in tumor formation.”
The embryonic model developed is highly reliable and easily reproducible, because each of its components has been precisely defined. This makes it possible to investigate in detail which genes and signals are essential at different moments of development.
“Another strength of this study,” notes researcher Gianluca Amadei of the University of Padua, “is the use of stem cells and models from different species, which helps us understand how evolutionarily conserved these mechanisms are, going beyond the limits of traditional animal models.”
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The results of the study have been published in Nature Cell Biology in the article “A human epiblast model reveals dynamic TGFβ-mediated control of epithelial identity during mammalian epiblast development.”
In the earliest phases of embryonic formation, cells arrange themselves into an orderly layer, creating a small internal cavity—a sort of hollow sphere. This cavity will become the future amniotic cavity, where the fetus will grow during the following months of pregnancy. The model also allows researchers to observe a second key developmental step: when some cells begin to differentiate and migrate, organizing the space where the future organs will take shape.
Since the signals that guide these processes in the human embryo are still unknown, the researchers used advanced genomics and genetic-editing techniques to identify them. The team discovered that a cell-to-cell communication signal called TGF-beta coordinates the earliest phases of cellular organization and the formation of the amniotic cavity. This occurs through a key regulatory gene, ZNF398, which controls many other genes involved in building the embryo’s three-dimensional structure. Later on, a similar signal, Activin A, triggers cell migrations and the differentiation processes required for organ formation. To confirm these findings, the researchers also carried out experiments on mouse embryos, showing that these mechanisms are shared across different species.
The first stages of development after implantation are extremely delicate and often fail to progress: only one embryo out of three manages to implant and develop successfully. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these early phases could therefore help improve birth rates and reduce risks and malformations.
“The very earliest stages of development are almost impossible to observe in human embryos,” explains Professor Graziano Martello of the University of Padua, “both for ethical and practical reasons. Our 3D model reproduces two fundamental moments: the formation of the amniotic cavity and the initial arrangement of the cells that will give rise to the body’s organs.”
“Thanks to high-resolution genetic analyses,” adds Professor Salvatore Oliviero, head of the group at the University of Turin, “we identified the genes active in each cell and the main regulators of this delicate phase of development. These data help us understand how cells make their earliest identity decisions and also reveal parallels with processes involved in tumor formation.”
The embryonic model developed is highly reliable and easily reproducible, because each of its components has been precisely defined. This makes it possible to investigate in detail which genes and signals are essential at different moments of development.
“Another strength of this study,” notes researcher Gianluca Amadei of the University of Padua, “is the use of stem cells and models from different species, which helps us understand how evolutionarily conserved these mechanisms are, going beyond the limits of traditional animal models.”
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A research team from the University of Turin, in collaboration with the University of Padua, has recreated in the laboratory a three-dimensional model of a human embryo using stem cells. This model makes it possible to closely observe the initial stages of embryo organization at the moment of implantation in the uterus—one of the most inaccessible phases to study directly.
The results of the study have been published in Nature Cell Biology in the article “A human epiblast model reveals dynamic TGFβ-mediated control of epithelial identity during mammalian epiblast development.”
In the earliest phases of embryonic formation, cells arrange themselves into an orderly layer, creating a small internal cavity—a sort of hollow sphere. This cavity will become the future amniotic cavity, where the fetus will grow during the following months of pregnancy. The model also allows researchers to observe a second key developmental step: when some cells begin to differentiate and migrate, organizing the space where the future organs will take shape.
Since the signals that guide these processes in the human embryo are still unknown, the researchers used advanced genomics and genetic-editing techniques to identify them. The team discovered that a cell-to-cell communication signal called TGF-beta coordinates the earliest phases of cellular organization and the formation of the amniotic cavity. This occurs through a key regulatory gene, ZNF398, which controls many other genes involved in building the embryo’s three-dimensional structure. Later on, a similar signal, Activin A, triggers cell migrations and the differentiation processes required for organ formation. To confirm these findings, the researchers also carried out experiments on mouse embryos, showing that these mechanisms are shared across different species.
The first stages of development after implantation are extremely delicate and often fail to progress: only one embryo out of three manages to implant and develop successfully. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these early phases could therefore help improve birth rates and reduce risks and malformations.
“The very earliest stages of development are almost impossible to observe in human embryos,” explains Professor Graziano Martello of the University of Padua, “both for ethical and practical reasons. Our 3D model reproduces two fundamental moments: the formation of the amniotic cavity and the initial arrangement of the cells that will give rise to the body’s organs.”
“Thanks to high-resolution genetic analyses,” adds Professor Salvatore Oliviero, head of the group at the University of Turin, “we identified the genes active in each cell and the main regulators of this delicate phase of development. These data help us understand how cells make their earliest identity decisions and also reveal parallels with processes involved in tumor formation.”
The embryonic model developed is highly reliable and easily reproducible, because each of its components has been precisely defined. This makes it possible to investigate in detail which genes and signals are essential at different moments of development.
“Another strength of this study,” notes researcher Gianluca Amadei of the University of Padua, “is the use of stem cells and models from different species, which helps us understand how evolutionarily conserved these mechanisms are, going beyond the limits of traditional animal models.”
In addition to clarifying the signals that drive embryonic development, these models also make it possible to understand which nutrients are essential in these early phases, or which drugs might interfere with them. Finally, deepening our knowledge of these embryonic models may support the development of new ethical and scientific guidelines for studying early human embryonic development.
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The results of the study have been published in Nature Cell Biology in the article “A human epiblast model reveals dynamic TGFβ-mediated control of epithelial identity during mammalian epiblast development.”
In the earliest phases of embryonic formation, cells arrange themselves into an orderly layer, creating a small internal cavity—a sort of hollow sphere. This cavity will become the future amniotic cavity, where the fetus will grow during the following months of pregnancy. The model also allows researchers to observe a second key developmental step: when some cells begin to differentiate and migrate, organizing the space where the future organs will take shape.
Since the signals that guide these processes in the human embryo are still unknown, the researchers used advanced genomics and genetic-editing techniques to identify them. The team discovered that a cell-to-cell communication signal called TGF-beta coordinates the earliest phases of cellular organization and the formation of the amniotic cavity. This occurs through a key regulatory gene, ZNF398, which controls many other genes involved in building the embryo’s three-dimensional structure. Later on, a similar signal, Activin A, triggers cell migrations and the differentiation processes required for organ formation. To confirm these findings, the researchers also carried out experiments on mouse embryos, showing that these mechanisms are shared across different species.
The first stages of development after implantation are extremely delicate and often fail to progress: only one embryo out of three manages to implant and develop successfully. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these early phases could therefore help improve birth rates and reduce risks and malformations.
“The very earliest stages of development are almost impossible to observe in human embryos,” explains Professor Graziano Martello of the University of Padua, “both for ethical and practical reasons. Our 3D model reproduces two fundamental moments: the formation of the amniotic cavity and the initial arrangement of the cells that will give rise to the body’s organs.”
“Thanks to high-resolution genetic analyses,” adds Professor Salvatore Oliviero, head of the group at the University of Turin, “we identified the genes active in each cell and the main regulators of this delicate phase of development. These data help us understand how cells make their earliest identity decisions and also reveal parallels with processes involved in tumor formation.”
The embryonic model developed is highly reliable and easily reproducible, because each of its components has been precisely defined. This makes it possible to investigate in detail which genes and signals are essential at different moments of development.
“Another strength of this study,” notes researcher Gianluca Amadei of the University of Padua, “is the use of stem cells and models from different species, which helps us understand how evolutionarily conserved these mechanisms are, going beyond the limits of traditional animal models.”
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A research team from the University of Turin, in collaboration with the University of Padua, has recreated in the laboratory a three-dimensional model of a human embryo using stem cells. This model makes it possible to closely observe the initial stages of embryo organization at the moment of implantation in the uterus—one of the most inaccessible phases to study directly.
The results of the study have been published in Nature Cell Biology in the article “A human epiblast model reveals dynamic TGFβ-mediated control of epithelial identity during mammalian epiblast development.”
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Since the signals that guide these processes in the human embryo are still unknown, the researchers used advanced genomics and genetic-editing techniques to identify them. The team discovered that a cell-to-cell communication signal called TGF-beta coordinates the earliest phases of cellular organization and the formation of the amniotic cavity. This occurs through a key regulatory gene, ZNF398, which controls many other genes involved in building the embryo’s three-dimensional structure. Later on, a similar signal, Activin A, triggers cell migrations and the differentiation processes required for organ formation. To confirm these findings, the researchers also carried out experiments on mouse embryos, showing that these mechanisms are shared across different species.
The first stages of development after implantation are extremely delicate and often fail to progress: only one embryo out of three manages to implant and develop successfully. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these early phases could therefore help improve birth rates and reduce risks and malformations.
“The very earliest stages of development are almost impossible to observe in human embryos,” explains Professor Graziano Martello of the University of Padua, “both for ethical and practical reasons. Our 3D model reproduces two fundamental moments: the formation of the amniotic cavity and the initial arrangement of the cells that will give rise to the body’s organs.”
“Thanks to high-resolution genetic analyses,” adds Professor Salvatore Oliviero, head of the group at the University of Turin, “we identified the genes active in each cell and the main regulators of this delicate phase of development. These data help us understand how cells make their earliest identity decisions and also reveal parallels with processes involved in tumor formation.”
The embryonic model developed is highly reliable and easily reproducible, because each of its components has been precisely defined. This makes it possible to investigate in detail which genes and signals are essential at different moments of development.
“Another strength of this study,” notes researcher Gianluca Amadei of the University of Padua, “is the use of stem cells and models from different species, which helps us understand how evolutionarily conserved these mechanisms are, going beyond the limits of traditional animal models.”
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The results of the study have been published in Nature Cell Biology in the article “A human epiblast model reveals dynamic TGFβ-mediated control of epithelial identity during mammalian epiblast development.”
In the earliest phases of embryonic formation, cells arrange themselves into an orderly layer, creating a small internal cavity—a sort of hollow sphere. This cavity will become the future amniotic cavity, where the fetus will grow during the following months of pregnancy. The model also allows researchers to observe a second key developmental step: when some cells begin to differentiate and migrate, organizing the space where the future organs will take shape.
Since the signals that guide these processes in the human embryo are still unknown, the researchers used advanced genomics and genetic-editing techniques to identify them. The team discovered that a cell-to-cell communication signal called TGF-beta coordinates the earliest phases of cellular organization and the formation of the amniotic cavity. This occurs through a key regulatory gene, ZNF398, which controls many other genes involved in building the embryo’s three-dimensional structure. Later on, a similar signal, Activin A, triggers cell migrations and the differentiation processes required for organ formation. To confirm these findings, the researchers also carried out experiments on mouse embryos, showing that these mechanisms are shared across different species.
The first stages of development after implantation are extremely delicate and often fail to progress: only one embryo out of three manages to implant and develop successfully. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these early phases could therefore help improve birth rates and reduce risks and malformations.
“The very earliest stages of development are almost impossible to observe in human embryos,” explains Professor Graziano Martello of the University of Padua, “both for ethical and practical reasons. Our 3D model reproduces two fundamental moments: the formation of the amniotic cavity and the initial arrangement of the cells that will give rise to the body’s organs.”
“Thanks to high-resolution genetic analyses,” adds Professor Salvatore Oliviero, head of the group at the University of Turin, “we identified the genes active in each cell and the main regulators of this delicate phase of development. These data help us understand how cells make their earliest identity decisions and also reveal parallels with processes involved in tumor formation.”
The embryonic model developed is highly reliable and easily reproducible, because each of its components has been precisely defined. This makes it possible to investigate in detail which genes and signals are essential at different moments of development.
“Another strength of this study,” notes researcher Gianluca Amadei of the University of Padua, “is the use of stem cells and models from different species, which helps us understand how evolutionarily conserved these mechanisms are, going beyond the limits of traditional animal models.”
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