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Christian Schröter

@schroeterfisch.bsky.social

Stem cells, development, differentiation, oscillations of all sorts

Christian Schröter @schroeterfisch.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Finally, we used multivariate modelling to systematically ask how signaling differences amongst protocols govern lineage outcome. We found that SMAD inhibition seems to cooperate with Wnt signaling to drive NMP differentiation and thus the transition to posterior body development. 5/6

Heatmap depicting the influence of signaling manipulations listed at the bottom major embryonic tissue types listed on the left. WNT signaling positively influences NMP and mesoderm, while SMADi positively influences anterior and posterior neural tube and NMP development, but shows a negative influence on mesoderm differentiation.

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Christian Schröter @schroeterfisch.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

In comparison to NMPs from the embryo however, both gene expression analysis and trajectory inference showed that NMPs from elongation models are strongly neurally biased. 4/6

Ridge plot showing the TBXT-to-SOX2 expression ratio in the NMP population in 12 stem cell-based axial elongation models and an embryo reference at 3 weeks post conception. Ridges indicate a lower TBXT-to-SOX2 expression ratio in stem cell-derived NMPs compared to those from the embryo.

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Christian Schröter @schroeterfisch.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

We identified three classes of stem cell based models that are dominated by different tissue types - neural tube, somites, or a combination of both. All three classes contained a population that mapped onto neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs) driving axial elongation in the embryo. 3/6

Heatmap showing the percentage of 15 early embryo cell types listed on the left in 12 stem cell-based axial elongation models listed on the bottom.

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Christian Schröter @schroeterfisch.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Several stem cell-based models for the human body axis have been published recently, but how exactly do these relate to the human embryo, and what do they tell us about its development? To address this question, we performed a "meta-analysis" mapping scRNAseq data to a unified reference. 2/6

Scheme showing depictions of stem cell-based axial organoids on the left, and a human embryo undergoing somitogenesis on the right, with an arrow labelled "mapping" connecting the two

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