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Updated: May 15, 2026
08:50
Single Cell Collection of Trophoblast Cells in Peri-implantation Stage Human Embryos
Published on: June 12, 2020
Human trophoblast progenitors: where do they reside?
Olga Genbacev1, Julie D Lamb, Akraporn Prakobphol
1Ely and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California-San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Seminars in Reproductive Medicine
|January 19, 2013
Summary
Researchers identified continuously self-renewing human trophoblast progenitor cells (hTPCs) from chorionic mesenchyme. These hTPCs differentiate into mature trophoblast types, offering a new model for studying early human development and pregnancy complications.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cell Research
Background:
- Human trophoblast (TB) specification and differentiation are poorly understood due to the lack of suitable in vitro models.
- Previous models using human embryonic stem cells or tumor-derived cells do not fully recapitulate TB progenitor behavior.
- Villous cytotrophoblasts (vCTBs) show limited proliferative capacity, hindering their use as progenitor sources later in pregnancy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a reliable in vitro model for studying human trophoblast progenitor self-renewal and differentiation.
- To investigate the potential of chorionic mesenchymal cells as a source of human trophoblast progenitor cells (hTPCs).
- To enable molecular analysis of early human TB differentiation and its link to pregnancy complications.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and propagation of continuously self-renewing cells from human chorionic mesenchyme.
- Assessment of the differentiation potential of isolated cells into mature trophoblast subtypes.
- Characterization of isolated cells as human trophoblast progenitor cells (hTPCs).
Main Results:
- Successfully isolated continuously self-renewing hTPCs from chorionic mesenchyme.
- Demonstrated that these hTPCs differentiate into various mature trophoblast cell types found in chorionic villi.
- Established a novel cell culture model for studying human TB progenitor biology.
Conclusions:
- Chorionic mesenchyme harbors a source of human trophoblast progenitor cells (hTPCs) capable of self-renewal and differentiation.
- This new hTPC model facilitates the molecular study of human TB differentiation, previously unachievable.
- Understanding hTPC behavior is crucial for investigating the origins of pregnancy complications linked to faulty trophoblast development.
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