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Updated: Oct 10, 2025

Determination of the Transport Rate of Xenobiotics and Nanomaterials Across the Placenta using the ex vivo Human Placental Perfusion Model
Published on: June 18, 2013
Overview of Drug Transporters in Human Placenta
Michiko Yamashita1,2, Udo R Markert2
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 5650871, Japan.
Abstract:
The transport of drugs across the placenta is a point of great importance in pharmacotherapy during pregnancy. However, the knowledge of drug transport in pregnancy is mostly based on experimental clinical data, and the underlying biological mechanisms are not fully understood. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of drug transporters in the human placenta. We only refer to human data since the placenta demonstrates great diversity among species. In addition, we describe the experimental models that have been used in human placental transport studies and discuss their availability. A better understanding of placental drug transporters will be beneficial for the health of pregnant women who need drug treatment and their fetuses.
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