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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Purification of HLA-G+ Extravillous Trophoblasts from Human Term Placental Tissues for Phenotyping and Functional Analysis
Published on: March 13, 2026
Long telomeres in the mature human placenta
1Department of Anatomy and Reproductive Biology, Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Road, E124, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. allsopp@hawaii.edu
Telomere shortening does not appear to significantly contribute to placental aging. Placental tissue telomeres are actually longer than those in cord blood, suggesting a different biological role.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Cellular senescence
- Genetics
Background:
- Telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, shorten with cell division.
- Cellular senescence is a process associated with aging and tissue maturation.
- The role of telomere dynamics in placental senescence remains incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between telomere length and placental senescence.
- To determine if telomere shortening contributes to the aging of placental tissue.
Main Methods:
- Villous placental tissue and cord blood were collected from term pregnancies.
- Telomere length was measured using Southern analysis of terminal restriction fragment (TRF) length.
- Telomerase activity was assessed using the TRAP assay.
Main Results:
- Telomeres were significantly longer (approximately 25%) in placental tissue compared to the donor's cord blood.
- This finding was consistent across different placental sampling sites.
Conclusions:
- Telomere shortening is unlikely to be a major factor in placental senescence or terminal maturation.
- The longer telomeres in placental tissue suggest a distinct role beyond simple replicative aging.
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