Human embryo models capable of synthesizing their own blood have been developed, in an advance that could lead to new treatments for blood disorders as well as the production of stem cells for transplants. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

The 3D structures, named “hematoids”, are similar to embryos but differ in several important ways. They don’t have the capacity to continue to develop into a fetus – they lack essential tissues and would also require a yolk sac and placenta. However, what the study demonstrates is that they can effectively simulate processes that happen during the early stages of embryo growth.

The hematoids self-assemble from human pluripotent stem cells, which can be nudged down any development

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