Engineering organoids that faithfully replicate the intricate architecture and region-specific features of bodily organs and extraembryonic tissues remains a significant scientific challenge. Previously, we demonstrated that craniofacial skin organoids (cSkOs), containing epidermis, dermis, and hair, could be generated by co-developing epidermal progenitors with cranial mesenchyme. Building on this approach, we precisely adjusted cellular composition and signaling environments to generate ventral skin or-ganoids (vSkOs) with lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) progenitors, successfully recapitulating features of abdominal or groin skin. Modulating early BMP and FGF signaling redi-rected these vSkOs toward an extraembryonic fate, producing human amnion-like tis-sues, termed Amnioids. Like native human amnion, Amnioids rapidly expanded into large, avascular, hairless cysts, in sharp contrast to the primitive vasculature and abundant hair follicles of vSkOs. Single-cell RNA sequencing identified divergent molecular signatures and developmental trajectories, highlighting key roles for NOTCH, WNT, and YAP/Hippo signaling pathways. Functional studies further underscored mesenchymal-epithelial interactions and mechanical forces as critical regulators of epithelial expansion. Together, these models provide potent tools to investigate human development at the embryonic-extraembryonic interface, offering critical insights into congenital skin and amniotic disorders and opening new avenues for precision regenerative therapies.
Le et al. (Thu,) studied this question.