How the human body forms from stem cells
Deconstructing human body plan development with stem cells
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · NIH-11295440
Using lab-grown human stem cells, researchers are making 3D tissue models to learn how body segments and limbs form, aiming to help people with birth defects or those needing tissue repair.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11295440 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, scientists are turning human iPSC (patient-derived stem cells) into 3D tissue models that mimic early body structures like somites and limb buds. They watch how cells sort themselves and how timing signals (the "segmentation clock") coordinate pattern formation. The work will refine a new cell-sorting framework for repeated body segments and build 3D models of limb development to study finger/toe patterning. This is lab-based research using human cells rather than an immediate therapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people willing to donate biological samples (for example skin or blood for iPSC generation) or to take part in future clinical or sample-donation studies related to development or regenerative medicine.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment or those with conditions unrelated to development, limb, or spine biology are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could reveal causes of congenital spine and limb defects and inform future regenerative or tissue-engineering treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Previous human stem-cell 3D models have reproduced early somite formation, but applying these systems to 3D limb patterning and directly linking cell sorting with the segmentation clock is a novel advance.
Where this research is happening
BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES
- JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY — BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MIAO, YUCHUAN — JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: MIAO, YUCHUAN
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.