Placenta-on-a-Chip Device Enables Pregnancy Research

Researchers have often used animals to investigate the role of the placenta during pregnancy. A group of scientists has recently developed a new placenta-on-a-chip able to mimic both the structure and the functionality of the placenta and model the transfer of maternal nutrients to the fetus. This model combines in the same culture system both human trophoblasts (cells providing nutrients to the embryo) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (cells forming the blood vessels present in the umbilical cord) that were cultured under dynamic flow conditions. The new device will help get insights on the role of the human placenta and enable research on pregnancy and its possible complications.