’Mini-placentas’ could provide a model for early pregnancy

Researchers say that new 'mini-placentas' - a cellular model of the early stages of the placenta - could provide a window into early pregnancy and help transform our understanding of reproductive disorders. Details of this new research are published today . The placenta is absolutely essential for supporting the baby as it grows inside the mother. When it doesn't function properly, it can result in serious problems Margherita Turco Many pregnancies fail because the embryo does not implant correctly into the lining of the womb (uterus) and fails to form a placental attachment to the mother. Yet, because of the complexities of studying this early period of our development, very little is understood about what is happening normally and what can go wrong. Animals are too dissimilar to humans to provide a good model of placental development and implantation. "The placenta is absolutely essential for supporting the baby as it grows inside the mother," says Dr Margherita Turco, the study's first author, from the Departments of Pathology and Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge.