Many muscle diseases are associated with early embryonic development. Due to the limited access to early human embryos and ethical concerns, early human development is less studied. Somites are the segmented blocks of cells which differentiate into muscle during early development. Somitoids comprise a stem cell model of early human muscle development. With this model, we are trying to unveil the mechanisms of early muscle development in health and disease.
Impact
Somitoids provide valuable insight into early human muscle development in both health and disease. By using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), we can replicate early stages of embryonic development in the lab. This approach enables us to investigate how genetic factors influence muscle formation. With this understanding, we not only gain deeper knowledge of early human development but also open the door to developing novel drugs and cell therapies.
reNEW research
The primary focus of Niels Geijsen’s group is to investigate muscle biology in both health and disease, with the goal of developing gene therapies to treat muscle diseases. In the embryonic model team under the supervision of Pascale Dijkers, we have successfully generated somitoids from (patient-derived) iPSCs. Currently, our research centers on how signalling pathways influence somite identity to gain deeper insight into human early muscle development.
Image description
The image shows a rosette-like structures in a 7-day-old human somitoid generated from iPSCs. Nuclei, shown in red are surrounded by F-actin, shown in cyan. Early muscle progenitor cells are visualised in yellow.
Credits
Mehmet Yildiz, PhD candidate, Dijkers & Geijsen lab, reNEW Leiden.
