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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Disruption of the Mouse Blood-Brain Barrier by Small Extracellular Vesicles from Hypoxic Human Placentas
Published on: January 26, 2024
A possible placental factor for preeclampsia: sFlt-1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan. naokoich@hsp.md.shinshu-u.ac.jp
Despite its clinical importance, the mechanism of preeclampsia is unclear; however, many believe placental pathology might be related to maternal systemic disease. If this is true, a factor which mediates information from the placenta to the maternal circulation can be hypothesized. Among a variety of such reported factors, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt1) will be the focus of this review. The hypoxic placenta, which is commonly found in preeclampsia, produces sFlt1; furthermore, animal experiments suggest its over-expression leads to preeclampsia-like symptoms.
Despite its clinical importance, the mechanism of preeclampsia is unclear; however, many believe placental pathology might be related to maternal systemic disease. If this is true, a factor which mediates information from the placenta to the maternal circulation can be hypothesized. Among a variety of such reported factors, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt1) will be the focus of this review. The hypoxic placenta, which is commonly found in preeclampsia, produces sFlt1; furthermore, animal experiments suggest its over-expression leads to preeclampsia-like symptoms.
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