In Vitro Modeling of the Early Development of Mouse and Human Embryos

Abstract

Mammalian embryonic development includes preimplantation, implantation and post-implantation development, during which the embryo is attached to the uterus wall. The modeling of embryo development in culture allows to study the process of ontogenesis in its dynamic development, which is especially valuable for studying early post-implantation development. We reviewed existing cultivation systems for mouse and human embryos. Also we considered a new experimental approach for studying early mammalian embryogenesis—embryo-like cell constructs. Using these methods, the most important results were obtained about the formation of embryonic germ layers, which provided insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of morphogenesis of the mouse and human embryos. The purpose of this review is to generalize the possibilities and limitations of such systems for studying mammalian embryogenesis and to find directions for further development of this approach.