Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026
Ganglioside Extraction, Purification and Profiling
Published on: March 12, 2021
Transfer of gangliosides across the human placenta
M D Mitchell1, K Henare, B Balakrishnan
1University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia. murray.mitchell@uq.edu.au
Objectives:
Gangliosides are structural and functional glycosphingolipids, considered to have important roles in neuronal development in fetal and neonatal development and in memory formation. In this report, we have investigated the ability of bovine milk-derived gangliosides GM3 and GD3 to cross the human placenta.
Study Design:
We have employed the ex-vivo model of dually-perfused isolated human placental lobules.
Results:
There was significant uptake of both GD3 and GM3 from the maternal perfusate. There was significant increase of GM3 in the fetal side and a non-statistically significant trend for GD3 to increase on the fetal side.
Conclusions:
Hence an apparent preference for GM3 release into fetal circulation. We suggest that gangliosides consumed by the mother enter her circulation, can be transferred across the placenta and may be available to the developing fetus for building neural connections.
