Can a mouse be grown in a lab?

In a lab, developed at University of Virginia School of Medicine by Christine and Bernard Thisse, a mouse embryo has a heart that beats. The embryo? Made out of embryonic stem cells. 

These results, published in Nature Communications, shows the most sophisticated in vitro model of a mammal created, a major step in mimicking the natural development of a mammal via stem cells. 

“This in vitro mouse model shows that we are able to induce cells to execute complex developmental programs in the right succession of steps. Having all the variety of tissues made allows us to hope that the scientific community will be able to build organs with a proper vascularization, innervation and interactions with other tissues,” Christine Thisse said. “This is essential to be able one day to produce functional human replacement organs in a dish. This would overcome the shortage of organ for transplants.”

This new model isn't a complete mouse, and is unable to develop into one. The anterior part of the brain, and other important parts, are still missing. 

Stem cells replace specialized cells that are damaged or lost. They can divide over and over again to produce new cells, and become our hearts, brains, bones, and nerves. 

Stem cell research offers hope into treating debilitating diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. 

“The knowledge we acquired along all our career of developmental biologists served as a starting point for this study in the stem cell field,” Christine Thisse said. “This was a big jump for us, but it shows that if you have a solid idea, it can be used to cross barriers and can be developed for other purposes. I say that for students: Nothing is definitive, there is room for knowing more and for solving problems.”

“Watching an embryo develop is a marvelous thing to behold,” Thisse added. “I am lucky my work led me to contribute to the knowledge of how invertebrate and vertebrate embryos develop, and that using these principles, we were able to produce embryo formation in a dish using stem cells as building bricks.”