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Updated: May 27, 2026

Ex vivo Culture of Human Placental Explants for the Study of Viral Transmission Across the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: December 30, 2025
The placenta: a main role in congenital toxoplasmosis?
Florence Robert-Gangneux1, Jean-Benjamin Murat, Hélène Fricker-Hidalgo
1Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Rennes, Rennes, France. florence.robert-gangneux@univ-rennes1.fr
Abstract:
Systemic infections, such as toxoplasmosis, acquired during pregnancy can lead to placental infection and have profound effects on the mother-to-child relationship and the success of pregnancy. Placental permeability to Toxoplasma gondii is a main parameter that determines parasite transmission to the foetus, and the use of antibiotics to decrease placental parasite load and prevent congenital toxoplasmosis has been suggested for decades. Although parasitological examination of the placenta at birth is commonly used to diagnose neonatal congenital toxoplasmosis, this approach can be controversial. Here we argue in favour of placental examination for both diagnostic and epidemiological purposes.
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