They create mini placentas to study diseases during pregnancy



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Researchers University of Cambridge published today in the journal Nature a study on an innovative technique to analyze the development of human placenta through laboratory cultures, which will increase knowledge about diseases during the pregnancy.

The process involves the creation of organoids, that is, miniaturized models of organs developed in the laboratory and to better understand the development of a placenta in gestation.

In this way, many disorders occurring during this process can be studied, such as preeclampsia, growth restriction and fetal death, which are caused by abnormal growth of the fetus in the placenta during the first trimester.

Until now, knowledge of the human placenta was limited due to the lack of functional models created in the laboratory with which to experiment, so that the development of organoids will expand research in this area.

The scientists, led by University of Cambridge professor Ashley Moffett, used the long-term generation of organoid cultures created from trophoblast cells extracted from the placenta during the first trimester, between six and nine weeks old. after. gestation

The cultures developed rapidly and developed three-dimensional organoidal structures during the first fifteen days. Even three randomly selected cultures continued to grow healthy after one year.

These organoids will also help to study the physiological, metabolic and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy.

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