Scientists from Japan have managed to obtain structures mimicking the pituitary gland and hypothalamus from human embryonic pluripotent stem cells. These organoids possess the ability to produce adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
For the first time, such organoids were implanted into the subcutaneous tissue of animals. The studies were conducted on mice and crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis) suffering from severe hypothalamic-pituitary insufficiency.
The experiments showed that this method significantly increases the level of ACTH in the blood of these animals. The results of the research have been officially published in the scientific journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy.