Lateral Plate Mesoderm Directs Human Amnion And Ventral Skin Organoid Formation

    November 2025 in “ bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) ”
    Anh Phuong Le, Jin Kim, Qianyi Ma, Kelly Y Gim, Sara A. Serdy, Edward H. Lee, Shariqa T Shaila, Taiki Nakajima, Carl Nist-Lund, Ian A. Glass, Yosuke Mai, Laura C. Nuzzi, Catherine T. McNamara, Brian I. Labow, Liang Sun, Jiyoon Lee, Olivier Pourquié, Karl R. Koehler
    TLDR Lateral plate mesoderm helps create skin and amnion-like tissues for studying development and therapies.
    Researchers have developed ventral skin organoids (vSkOs) using lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) progenitors, which mimic the features of abdominal or groin skin. By modulating BMP and FGF signaling, these organoids can be redirected to form human amnion-like tissues, called Amnioids. Unlike vSkOs, Amnioids expand into large, avascular, hairless cysts. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed distinct molecular signatures and developmental paths, emphasizing the importance of NOTCH, WNT, and YAP/Hippo signaling pathways. These findings highlight the role of mesenchymal-epithelial interactions and mechanical forces in epithelial expansion, providing valuable models for studying human development and potential regenerative therapies.
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