According to a new study, small human placenta models could aid scientists in knowing more about the genes and proteins that play pivotal roles in maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
Studying Placental Development
The study shows how small lab-grown placentas could show how the temporary organ can invade the uterus successfully. The research could help boost current understanding regarding pregnancy disorders, such as preeclampsia.
Previously, the scientists behind this study revealed that their miniature placentas could fool a pregnancy test through the secretion of a hormone made by placentas of full size. They nurtured the mini organs to look into placental development, which is a crucial phase of early pregnancy that could result in severe complications if things derail.
It is difficult to study early placental development, as people are usually unaware of their pregnancy during this stage. Moreover, technologies make it challenging to gather data without leading to pregnancy disruptions. Looking into the placentas of animals also does not yield any fruit as they have a different formation than humans.
Healthy Pregnancy and Pregnancy Disorders
The study "Human uterine natural killer cells regulate differentiation of extravillous trophoblast early in pregnancy" identified some proteins that play a pivotal role in placental development. The researchers also found that the placenta cells with such protein exposure switch on the genes believed to support the placenta's blood flow and implantation.
The findings suggest that the proteins that are highlighted could be important when it comes to healthy pregnancy. The dysfunction of such proteins could contribute to pregnancy-related disorders, including preeclampsia.
According to Ashley Moffett, the study's senior author and a reproductive immunology professor from the University of Cambridge, the study serves as the first example to reveal how experiments could be done on the human placenta, which specialists have never been able to pull off.
The miniature placentas mirror trophoblasts, cells of a fertilized and growing egg that gives rise to a huge portion of the placenta. They made "trophoblast organoids" by taking human placenta cells and nurturing them in a chemical environment that mirrors their exposure during pregnancy. This resulted in a 3D structure that had different cells within the placenta.
As part of the study, the scientists exposed the placenta organoids to a four-protein cocktail made by the natural killer cells of the uterine, an immune cell type distinct to the uterus and clusters where implantation of the placenta takes place. Earlier work shows that these proteins could affect the development of trophoblasts. People who produce more have a lesser likelihood of developing preeclampsia, which is signified by high protein levels in the urine, high blood pressure levels, and organ damage in a pregnant individual at times.
As a response to the proteins, the mini placentas switched on the genes linked to blood flow regulation in the placenta, dampening inflammation and taking in nutrients.
According to Moffett, several of the genes were linked to preeclampsia. Moffett adds that what this reveals are the pathways that must be focused on that are crucial to developing such conditions.
Myriam Hemberger, a professor from the University of Calgary's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, did not participate in the study and explained that it has various limitations, such as the mixed rather than individual study of all four proteins. Hemberger explains that future studies could look into these individuals to see if they could yield different impacts.
Hemberger adds that it is also hard to see if the researchers employed the same protein concentrations as the ones that individual cells would be exposed to during early pregnancy.
Further studies could look into the association between these proteins and preeclampsia. They may also examine whether different proteins could link to various preeclampsia subtypes.
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