(CNN) — Scientists are exploring ways to mimic the origins of human life without two fundamental components: sperm and egg. They are coaxing clusters of stem cells – programmable cells that can transform into many different specialized cell types ...

For the first time, a stem cell model has produced a structure resembling an early human embryo with a yolk-sac-like structure, from a single starting stem cell population and without direct genetic manipulation. The models were made at University of ...

For the first time, stem cells typically considered restricted to forming body tissues spontaneously formed a yolk-sac-like structure in a model of the human embryo. Stem cell models of human embryos have the potential to shed light on early pregnancy loss.