Summary of the science
Our knowledge of how organs develop is still limited, but studies have shown that complex tissues can form by themselves in the lab from stem cells. Stem cells are special cells in our bodies that have the ability to develop into different types of cells and help repair and regenerate damaged tissues. This formation process is called self-organisation and it happens when a group of cells work together to create a structure or organ. For this to occur, cells must talk to each other and exchange signals to coordinate their actions. They also have to stick to each other in different ways so they can create specific patterns and arrange themselves in a specific order, like puzzle pieces fitting together, to form the tissue. By following these processes, cells can work together and create complex organs that function properly.
About the research
Yoshiki Sasai and his team developed a method to enable and encourage human embryonic stem cells to form brain cortex, eyes (optic cups), and other organs in tissue culture. They demonstrated that the formation of intricate tissues, such as the optic cup, can occur through self-organisation in vitro using a homogeneous population of stem cells. This self-organisation process relies on three essential processes that play a critical role in the emergence of structure. These processes involve cell-cell communication, differential cell adhesion, and spatial patterning mechanisms, all working together to orchestrate the development and organisation of the tissue and organ.
About the illustration
We wanted to represent a tissue that was undergoing self-organisation and scaling, as this was the primary takeaway from the title. The cells towards the sides are shown to scale out and up, which gives off the impression that the tissue is dipping in the centre. Together with the defined lines of different cell types (grey and white at 50% opacity), we wanted to show that self-organisation is important in creating complex shapes and patterns.