Placental organoids
Scientists have grown a placenta outside a woman's body
Daria Spasskaya, N+1
Researchers were able to grow a three-dimensional placenta-like organoid from human placenta cells, which, like a real placenta, consists of several cellular layers, and even produces hormones. According to the authors of the publication in Nature, "placenta in vitro" will help to study in detail in the laboratory the signaling interaction between the woman's body and the embryo, as well as focus on the study of fetal developmental disorders and pathologies associated with pregnancy.
Many fetal abnormalities, as well as conditions such as preeclampsia (toxicosis accompanied by an abnormal increase in pressure) in pregnant women develop as a result of impaired functioning of the placenta. This organ is formed as a result of the embryo's embryo membranes (trophoblast) growing into the uterine wall and provides nutrition, fetal respiration and its protection from the mother's immunity. In addition, the placenta produces hormones necessary both to maintain the physiological status of pregnancy and to prepare for feeding the unborn child. The study of pathologies associated with the placenta has so far been difficult due to the lack of adequate models.
Researchers from The University of Cambridge, under the leadership of Ashley Moffett, has grown a genetically stable three-dimensional organoid (trophoblast) on a gel matrix, which mimics the functions of the placenta in the first trimester of pregnancy. Scientists have shown that such a mini-organ is able to exist in the laboratory for a long time (up to a year), and it can be "multiplied" by transplanting cells to a new matrix.
As a starting material for growing "placenta in vitro", the researchers took donor material – placental cells of several women, which were populated in a special matrix. In addition, scientists had to sort through many variants of the growth medium until they could find the right combination of hormones and growth factors that ensure cell division and differentiation on the matrix.
A picture from the press release of the University of Cambridge ‘Mini-placentas’ could provide a model for early pregnancy (the actual size of organoids is 5-10 mm) – VM.
As the analysis of the resulting organoid showed, it formed a real villous trophoblast on the matrix, with two main cell populations – cells of the extra-villous layer that interact with the endometrium of the uterus and maternal arteries, and syncytiotrophoblast cells that are responsible for metabolism and hormone production. The mini–organ also turned out to be capable of producing hormones - in particular, it synthesized chorionic gonadotropin, the detection of which in urine is the basis of rapid pregnancy tests. To confirm the production of the hormone, the authors of the work even analyzed the growth medium of the mini–placenta with the help of such a test - the test showed a positive result.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru