Cdx2

Cdx2 (sequence ID NM_007673) is the gene that directs early embryogenesis in mice. It is required to form the placenta. This gene (or, more specifically, the equivalent gene in humans) has come up in the proposal by the President's Council on Bioethics, as a solution to the stem cell controversy. According to one of the plans put forth, by deactivating the gene, it would not be possible for a properly organized embryo to form, thus providing stem cells without requiring the destruction of an embryo.

Other genes that have been proposed for this purpose include Hnf4, which is required for gastrulation.