A new map of the “maternal-fetal interface” has revealed a new cell type, as well as the cell types most likely to be affected in conditions such as pre-eclampsia.
In a study published this Wednesday in , a group of scientists revealed a detailed “atlas” of the placenta and uterus, showing how these unique tissues grow and evolve throughout pregnancy to accommodate a developing fetus.
By drawing this new map, scientists revealed a cell subtype that has never been described before and that appears to be exclusive to pregnancy.
As the researchers explained to , these cells are not present in the uterus outside of pregnancy and suddenly increase in number at the beginning of pregnancy, as the uterine lining transforms to accommodate and support the embryo.
These recently described cells appear to be involved in binding placenta to maternal blood supply and have receptors that respond to cannabinoids. Cannabinoids include substances produced by the body itself, as well as cannabis compounds THC and CBD.
Before the new study, other research groups had mapped the placenta and uterus using similar techniques. However, these analyzes only covered specific stages of pregnancy.
“The big difference is that now we are looking at the entire time course, from the beginning of pregnancy to birth,” the study’s corresponding author told Live Science. Jingjing Lian associate professor of neurology at UCSF who studies human genomics.
The new atlas incorporates tissue data collected between weeks 5 and 39 of pregnancy. It also incorporates records of which genes were active and which proteins were in the cells analyzed at a certain stage of pregnancy. It also analyzes the “chromatin accessibility” – which reflects how DNA molecules are organized within the cell and which genes can be activated at a given time.
In total, the team analyzed about 1.2 million cells from the placenta and uterus, including 200,000 isolated cells and 1 million cells integrated into their original locations within the tissue.
Importance of the new cell type
Researchers predicted how deeply a given cell would invade the uterus based on its genetic activity. When this invasion goes wrong it can contribute to complications such as pre-eclampsia or placenta accreta.
It was found that the new cell type helps regulate this invasion. By sending specific signals, this type of cell acts as a “speed reducer” to prevent the process from progressing too quickly.
“It is at the forefront of the maternal-fetal interface”, said, in turn, the leader of the investigation Cheng Wanga specialist in regenerative medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), to the same magazine.
“Several proteins transported by these cells support the idea that they are regulate the behavior of other cells at this crucial interface“, he added.
