Summary
Published in Birth Defects Research (2018), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Wolf, Cynthia J., et al. Development of an organotypic stem cell model for the study of human embryonic palatal fusion
Development of an organotypic stem cell model for the study of human embryonic palatal fusion
Research Overview
Cleft palate affects roughly 1 in 1,000 births, and one route to it is failure of fusion — the epithelial seam between the paired palatal shelves fails to clear, so the mesenchyme never becomes confluent. Epidermal growth factor drives palate growth and differentiation but may also impede that fusion.
This study developed a 3D organotypic model of the human embryonic palatal shelves using human mesenchymal and epithelial stem cells, generating spheroids from umbilical-derived mesenchymal cells, and tested how human EGF affects proliferation and fusion — a human-cell platform for studying a common birth defect.
Key Discoveries
- 3D organotypic model built from human mesenchymal and epithelial stem cells mimics embryonic palatal shelves
- Spheroid fusion used as the readout for the mechanism underlying cleft palate
- Human EGF tested for its dual effect on palatal proliferation and fusion
