Interspecies chimeras for human stem cell research

Interspecies chimeric assays are a valuable tool for investigating the potential of human stem and progenitor cells, as well as their differentiated progeny. This Spotlight article discusses the different factors that affect interspecies chimera generation, such as evolutionary distance, developmental timing, and apoptosis of the transplanted cells, and suggests some possible strategies to address them. A refined approach to generating interspecies chimeras could contribute not only to a better understanding of cellular potential, but also to understanding the nature of xenogeneic barriers and mechanisms of heterochronicity, to modeling human development, and to the creation of human transplantable organs.