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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Human Placental and Decidual Organ Cultures to Study Infections at the Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: July 21, 2016
Ultrastructure of the early human feto-maternal interface co-cultured in vitro
M O Babawale1, M A Mobberley, T A Ryder
1Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Wolfson & Weston Research Centre for Family Health, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
Background:
The study was designed to investigate the ultrastructural features of the early human feto-maternal interface when generated by in-vitro co-culture, and compare these with findings reported previously from human pregnancies.
Methods:
Placental villi and decidua parietalis tissues from 8-12 week pregnancies were co-cultured in vitro over a 4-day period. The co-incubations were ended at 24 h intervals and processed for electron microscopical studies, and for immunocytochemistry using anti-cytokeratin antibody (CAM 5.2) for trophoblast.
Results:
Loss of the syncytium at points of contact with the decidual stroma, cytotrophoblast column formation, differentiation and invasion of extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells into the decidual stroma over the 4-day period of co-culture were observed. Cellular components, such as actin filaments, microtubules, glycogen granules and lamellipodic processes found in EVT cells were consistent with active cellular locomotion.
Conclusions:
These ultrastructural studies emphasize the usefulness of this model in investigating the formation of the feto-maternal interface of human pregnancy. The recruitment of cytotrophoblast to the syncytium by a process involving fusion of the intervening plasma membranes, and the migration of EVT cells causing little or no damage to the surrounding decidual cells, resemble in-vivo data.
