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cellsdev.bsky.social
Cells & Development
@cellsdev.bsky.social
1.2K followers 480 following 56 posts
'Cells & Development' journal (formerly 'Mechanisms of Development'). Official journal of the International Society of Developmental Biology isdb.bsky.social
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cellsdev.bsky.social
Organoid technology is one of the most significant advancements deriving from developmental biology. Yet, many aspects of the biology of organoid itself remain elusive, one of which is the role of mesenchymal stem cells.
This review:
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
by Wang et al discusses this in detail.
Fig. 1. Timeline of organoids development. The history of organoids was initiated by Ross Harrison's origin of nerve fiber experiments and continues to evolve to the present day. Fig. 2. Timeline of MSCs development. In 1970, Friedenstein first divided “fibroblast colonies” from guinea-pig bone marrow and spleen. In 1976, “clonogenic fibroblast precursor cells” were discovered in mouse bone marrow. In 1995, the first-in-human trial of MSCs was conducted. In 1999, it was first discovered that MSCs can differentiate in vitro into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes. During the period from 2000 to 2010, key functions of MSCs, including homing and migration, were discovered. In 2018, MSCs entered clinical trials for heart failure and Crohn's disease. From 2021 to 2025, clinical trials for MSCs expanded to include cirrhosis, osteoarthritis, and diabetic foot. Fig. 3. Schematic illustration of MSC-mediated optimization of organoids: from challenges to future perspectives. Current organoid systems face limitations such as lack of vasculature, central necrosis, and absence of functional immune components. MSCs address these challenges through two main strategies: acting as structural components in co-culture systems (direct relations) and serving as microenvironmental regulators via paracrine signaling and EVs (indirect relations). The integration of MSCs leads to improved organoid outcomes, including promoted angiogenesis, enhanced maturation, and immunomodulation. Future directions involve combining MSC-organoid systems with 3D bioprinting and organ-on-a-chip technologies to facilitate disease modeling, drug screening, and clinical translation.
January 10, 2026 at 5:33 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
Check out the summary written by our Editor in Chief, Professor Roberto Mayor:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

And if you missed it, here is the link to Part I of the collection:
www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...
December 17, 2025 at 3:45 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
We're in love with this cover image! 🧡
Part II of our Special Collection celebrating the Centennial of the Discovery of The Organiser is here. This issue focuses on the work presented at the Centennial Symposium at the University of Freiburg in September 2024:
www.sciencedirect.com/journal/cell...
Many small photos taken from the symposium organised to reveal Spemann and Mangold in the background.
December 17, 2025 at 3:45 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
Vertebrates can use entirely different mechanisms to generate its anterior and posterior dorsal tissue. In this thorough review from the lab of Lance Davidson, different morphogenetic events are compared between the front and the back in a developing embryo. Check it out:
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. Comparative stages of transition from primary-to-posterior dorsal axial tissue formation. A dorsal and sagittal comparison of simplified CNS morphology in at the stage(s) of PNP closure (presumed junctional neurulation) between model organisms commonly used to study neurulation processes. A dorsal view of the shared structural characteristics between vertebrates at the posterior end depicts the anterior portion of the posterior processes which have completed neural tube closure and are in the process of segmenting somites from pre-formed PSM. Dashes mark the regions where primary and secondary neurulation processes occur at the same time and are overlapping (transition zone). Posterior to established neural tube and PSM is the region containing the NMP cell population, which are proliferating and maturing to form PSM and neural tube structures in an anterior to posterior direction. Mammals have formed roughly between 28 and 30 somites at neuropore closure (E9.5–10 in mouse, day 27 in humans). Avian have formed 22 somites at HH13, whereas amphibians have formed only 6–7 somites by NF 20. Finally, zebrafish have 21 somites at 19.5 hpf, which corresponds to the stage of neural primordium elongation, without convergence. Fig. 2. Antero-posterior progression of neurulation and somitogenesis. A graphical representation of primary and posterior processes that generate identical, uninterrupted structures through a transition zone. All vertebrates begin primary processes with a predetermined superficial neural cell layer, that converges at the midline to form a single lumen and pre-somitic mesoderm that condenses and segregates into somites. Posterior processes are established from a multi-potent NMP cell population that diverge to form separate neural and mesodermal populations and eventually forms structures indistinguishable from primary structures. These processes are hypothesized to occur at the same time within the transition zone, where primary processes progressively transition into posterior processes. Fig. 3. A comparison of naïve/pluripotent/stem cell populations and organizer regions. An organizer is capable of modulating the cell identities of neighboring cell populations through expression of various BMP antagonists and additional growth factors. Naïve cells are undifferentiated cells that are capable of developing into various cell types, dependent on the externally applied conditions. The diagrams are representative of the transplantation experiments completed by Spemann and Mangold, which illustrates the organizer's ability to induce neural identity from host cells.
December 12, 2025 at 2:00 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
Principles in mechanical engineering can be applied to study biomaterials, such as the notochord. In this theoretical study, Curcio et al investigated how the different ways of notochord stacking affects its structural rigidity. A staircase stacking seems to be better!
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. Initial geometries and boundary conditions for pressurization and three-point bending studies. Fig. 4. Examples of three-point bending. Lateral and/or transverse displacements are nondimensionalized, dividing by initial cell dimension d(init). Fig. 2. Inflation study: geometric changes. Fig. 3. Pressure study: resulting tensions.
December 6, 2025 at 2:51 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
Tissue-resident macrophages are doing more than just protecting from infection. In this interesting paper, René Fernando Abarca-Buis et al shows that they can promote reepithelialization and blastema formation and regulate the maturation of chondrocytes. Check it out here:
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. Doble immunodetection of CD68 and F4/80 during ear hole regeneration in early postnatal mice. Fig. 6. Clodronate liposomes treated ears in re-differentiation show acceleration of cartilage maturation. Fig. 4. Modifications in the regenerative response by the treatment with clodronate liposomes during wound healing phase of early postnatal mice ear hole regeneration.
November 28, 2025 at 5:57 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
It is not often that Sialoglycoproteins and sialyltransferases are mentioned during early development. This interesting review from the lab of Katia Cailliau brings the interesting biology of sialic acid into the context of #devbio, particularly during blastula formation.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Enzymes involved in the biosynthesis pathway of sialic acid, sialic motifs, and sialylated proteins present during cleavage stages in the blastula and blastocyst formation, in embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) across various species. The production of sialylated proteins follows a multistep pathway derived from the glucose metabolism and occurs across three cellular compartments, ultimately leading to the placement of sialylated proteins in the plasma membrane. Blastula from various species. The coeloblastula surrounds an inner fluid-filled blastocoel, whereas the stereoblastula shows no cavity. I
November 21, 2025 at 5:46 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
"His secret weapons were an unquenchable curiosity and continuing hands-on experimentation at the bench with his beautiful frog embryos and oocytes".

A thoughtful tribute to the life of Sir John Gurdon by Edward M. De Robertis that we really recommend everyone to read.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Sir John Gurdon on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Original portrait by Prof. Nadia Rosenthal of The Jackson Laboratories, pencil on Arches paper. Courtesy of the artist.
November 7, 2025 at 9:12 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
From the lab of Chinmoy Patra discussing the importance of ECM in heart morphogenesis and the roles of secreted molecules in mediating fibrosis or regeneration after myocardial injury.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
October 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
From the lab of Maxwell Heiman discussing the interesting topic of apical ECM and the function of sensing organs and how these ECM proteins can both mechanically and biochemically modulate the organ's functions.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
October 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
From the lab of Jean Schwarzbauer identified IGFBP3 as the most up-regulated gene in fibrotic human lung fibroblasts and can be used as a potential biomarker for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
October 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
From the lab of Eva Matalova exploring the role of TGF-B in gld osteoblastic cells.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
October 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
From the lab of @rachellennon.bsky.social showing how fluid flow can alter Collagen IV network architecture using a very neat kidney co-culture system.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
October 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
From the lab of Scott Holley showing the distinct functions that fibronectin 1a and 1b have during zebrafish development using live imaging.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
October 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
From the lab of Brian Stramer discussing how the ECM actively involved in shaping embryo morphogenesis.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
October 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
From the lab of Kenneth Yamada showing how mRNAs coding for basement membrane proteins are polarised apically in mouse embryonic salivary gland outer epithelial cells and are trafficked by microtubules.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
October 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
Cell-cell junction proteins like ZO-1 not only play a critical role in the mechanical interaction between cells, but also participate in the biochemical signalling to coordinate the cell sheet. Check out this review on collective cell migration here to learn more: doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Intercellular propagation of ERK activation and ZO-1 localization to podosomes during collective cell migration. Translocation of ZO-1 from the apical side of the cells to the adhesive ring of podosomes.
October 24, 2025 at 11:32 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
How do endodermal cells behave during gastrulation? In this paper, the authors found that a gradient of BMP regulates mesoderm and endoderm convergent extension. Endoderm cells also use the mesoderm and Cxcr4a signalling to guide their movement. The imaging is beautiful!
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
October 17, 2025 at 6:27 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
In honor of the passing of Sir John Gurdon, we will revisit the concept of chimerism across scales in this review from the lab of @drmichaellevin.bsky.social. Grafting and nucleus transplanting have been the cornerstone of modern #devbio. We have come so far!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Schematic of the study of multiscale chimerism. Subcellular chimeras in algal grafts. Chimeras at different scales: subcellular, molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and population. What determines the anatomical setpoint of regenerative homeostasis? Planarian flatworms regenerate after amputation using a resident population of stem cells. This process reliably stops when the correct species-specific head shape is restored. The following thought experiment illustrates the profound knowledge gap in our understanding of the rules of morphogenesis despite ample information about genes required for neoblast differentiation.
October 11, 2025 at 12:14 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
We often talk about what signals does the organiser release. But have you ever stopped and asked what does it mean to be the organiser? What cells make up the organiser? Where do they go? What do they do?
Well this review by Claudio Stern may give you the answers:
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Cell movements around the organizer/node after stage HH4. Fate maps of the ectodermal (dorsal) layer of the organizer/node, based on Selleck and Stern (1991) (Selleck and Stern, 1991). Cell movements of populations contributing to the organizer. Stages of early chick development referred to in the text. The diagrams show some of the features used to classify the stages in relation to primitive streak formation.
October 3, 2025 at 4:36 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
In this intriguing paper published from the lab of @amartinezarias.bsky.social , they looked at the effects of size on morphology, tissue composition, and gene expression of gastruloid development. They found that AP elongation dynamics is size-dependent! Check it out here:
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
September 26, 2025 at 5:17 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is an integral part of development in animals. In this beautifully illustrated review from the lab of Magali Suzanne, they describe and compare and contrast the cellular mechanism of EMT across the different model organisms.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. EMT dynamics in developmental models. Fig. 2. A hypothetical model of EMT dynamics.
September 12, 2025 at 4:15 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
Our September issue cover is now online.
You can check out the issue here:
www.sciencedirect.com/journal/cell...
September 12, 2025 at 4:04 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
For decades, living embryos were the favourite tool to study development. However, their complexity hindered precise dissection of many processes. This comprehensive review provides a comparison between embryos and the power of gastruloids, opening up a new wave of dev bio.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. Schematic overview of mouse gastrulation Fig. 4. Different aspects of computational modelling of gastrulation. Fig. 3. Protein localisation, cell sorting behaviours and signalling pathway activation in gastruloids. Depicted are schematic representations based on integration of existing, fragmented data. Note that there is considerable variation in gastruloid development and existing data quality and resolution, and these cartoons represent our interpretation of average domains of immunofluorescence staining. Fig. 2. Schematic overview of signalling induced GRNs during gastrulation.
September 5, 2025 at 5:30 PM
cellsdev.bsky.social
Many phenotypes from cells on plastic dishes just don't seem to translate to cells in vivo, particularly isolated primary cells. @raimonsunyer.bsky.social et al discussed how cells mechanically adapt, and the different ways we can mitigate this in this very helpful review:
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
The molecular clutch model offers insights into how cells adapt to rigid substrates such as tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS). Culturing cells on stiff substrates alters their mechanical phenotype. Stiff substrates, such as tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS), trigger adhesion reinforcement. Cell selection and mechanoadaptation when isolating primary cells. This figure illustrates how primary cells isolated from a tissue explant are affected by the stiffness of the culture surface. Strategies to mitigate stiff mechanoadaptation in cell culture.
August 29, 2025 at 4:31 PM