Funding outcome

The placenta is an organ that supports the baby's growth during pregnancy. It transfers oxygen and nutrients to the fetus and removes waste. If the placenta does not form or function properly fetal growth can suffer. This can lead to the development of a pregnancy complication called intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In this condition babies are very small and are more likely to be born early and have health problems throughout their life. One of the most important cell types in the human placenta is the syncytiotrophoblast (ST). This is the cell type that forms the outer surface of the placenta. It is unique because it is one gigantic single cell. Therefore, it is ~12m2 by the end of pregnancy. All cell types form from stem cells. The ST is formed from trophoblast stem cells. ST formation does not occur properly in complications like IUGR, but researchers have only been able to grow human trophoblast stem cells in labs since 2018. Therefore, what controls ST formation and may go wrong with ST formation in IUGR is just beginning to be understood. Our data shows that a group of proteins called atypical protein kinase-c (aPKC) are important for forming ST. In this project we will use human trophoblast stem cells and other human placental cell culture models to identify how these proteins control ST formation and identify how this very important cell type forms in early human pregnancy. This work will identify processes that may be disrupted and lead to the development of complications like IUGR. This knowledge can be used in the future to develop treatments for pregnancy complications and improve lifelong health for babies that experience growth restriction.