Scientists have successfully grown embryo-like structures in the lab that produced human blood cells, marking a major step forward for regenerative medicine.
The breakthrough, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge’s Gurdon Institute, could one day allow patients to receive bone marrow transplants using blood stem cells created from their own tissues, removing the need for donor matches.
Dr Jitesh Neupane, the study’s first author, said it was “an exciting moment” when the blood-red colour appeared in the dish, visible to the naked eye. The embryo model, grown from human stem cells, mimics natural development in the early weeks of pregnancy without needing sperm or eggs.
The structures self-organised into the three germ layers that form the foundation of the body. By day 8, heart-like cells began beating, and by day 13, distinct red patches of blood appeared. Tests confirmed that the lab-grown blood stem cells could mature into both red and white blood cells.
Professor Azim Surani, senior author of the study, said the work “marks a significant step towards future regenerative therapies that use a patient’s own cells to repair and regenerate damaged tissues.”
Because the model lacks the tissues needed to form a placenta or brain, it cannot develop into a foetus, ensuring it remains an ethical tool for studying early human development.
