Research
New stem cell models reveal how earliest human placenta structures take shape
The Brief
- Columbia researchers led by Mijo Simunovic created lab-grown organoids that reconstruct the earliest steps of human placenta formation.
- The placenta's earliest formation stages had been hidden from direct scientific observation.
- The work uses stem cell models to study placenta structures that previously could not be observed.
Why it matters
Early placenta development is difficult to study in humans, so lab models that reproduce these steps give researchers a new way to investigate how pregnancy begins and where it can go wrong.
Who’s affected
- developmental biologists
- reproductive and pregnancy researchers
- #placenta
- #stem cells
- #organoids
- #developmental biology
- #pregnancy
The placenta is essential for a healthy pregnancy, but the earliest steps of its formation have been hidden from scientific view. Now Columbia researchers led by Mijo Simunovic have created lab-grown organoids that reconstruct the earliest steps in human placenta formation…
Timeline
Medical Xpress reports Columbia study on stem cell models of earliest human placenta formation
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New stem cell models reveal how earliest human placenta structures take shape