Expression data from human embryonic stem cell aggregates treated with CHIR99021

Abnormal development or function of the yolk sac can lead to embryonic demise or developmental abnormalities. However, the genetic and environmental factors that impair human yolk sac development and function remain poorly understood.

Human yolk sac models that are amenable to experimental manipulation would therefore be valuable for investigating these mechanisms. The long-term goal of this study is to establish an in vitro model of the human yolk sac from pluripotent stem cells. As an initial step toward this goal, we investigated whether three-dimensional aggregates of human embryonic stem cells could be induced toward a primitive endoderm-like state, which gives rise to the yolk sac during embryonic development.