Collaborative Research: Mechanoregulation of Amnion Patterning through Activation of Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling

This project is to support the fundamental research to study amnion development using a stem cell-derived human development model. As the innermost layer of the fetal membrane, amnion plays a crucial role in mediating nutrient transportation and producing a variety of cytokines that are important for maintaining pregnancy. The insights generated by this project will advance our knowledge in early human development. The methods will assist in the rational design of three-dimensional stem cell culture systems for disease modeling, cell replacement therapy, and reproductive medicine. This research will promote the progress of fundamental science and advance maternal health. Outreach and educational activities include high school and undergraduate curriculum development, which will be achieved by offering hands-on research opportunities, enrichment workshops, and mentoring program. Special emphasis will be placed on broadening participation of underrepresented groups in the researched activities. The objective of this project is set to address the significant challenge in understanding the mechanobiology governing amnion development during early human development. This work will be the first attempt to guide the formation of stem cell-derived multicellular tissues with tunable biomechanical environments. Successful completion of the project will lead to new innovative platforms for three-dimensional human pluripotent stem cell culture. The researched quantitative morphological and gene expression characterizations will provide valuable knowledge towards a better understanding on how mechanical cues control amnion patterning and the formation of the human embryonic sac, and the morphological and gene expression dynamics involved in this process. The methodologies will be highly valuable for characterizing the development of complex stem cell-derived tissues that resemble human embryos (embryoid) and organs (organoid) in general. Mechanistic investigations researched in this project will elucidate how the bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway and its cross-regulations with mechanical signals regulate amnion development, and will lay important foundations for advancing our understanding of the emergent self-organizing principles and developmental mechanisms. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.