Decoding effects of soluble factors on transcriptional programs in mouse embryonic stem cell-based embryoid bodies using high-throughput screening platforms. In vitro drug screening using a mouse stem cell-based model

Despite much progress in understanding embryonic development, important morphogenetic events—such as early embryonic patterning—remain unclear. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) have recently been used to mimic such phenomena in vitro, demonstrating the astonishing self-organizing capacity of these cells. The ability to study bioactive compounds and signalling pathways involved in controlling these morphogenetic processes using in vitro models is critical for gaining deeper insights into organogenesis, developmental toxicity and in vitro fertilization outcomes. We utilized a 3D mESC-based embryoid body (EB) model of early embryonic development, which were generated in high-throughput manner using a microwell platform. The effect of exposure of these EBs to three different doses of fifteen soluble factors were studied using RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq). The development of small molecule and drug screening assay using in vitro development models has the potential to reduce animal and embryo experiments.