Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2025
Mouse In Vivo Placental Targeted CRISPR Manipulation
Published on: April 14, 2023
Deciphering maternal-fetal cross-talk in the human placenta during parturition using single-cell RNA sequencing.
Valeria Garcia-Flores1,2, Roberto Romero1,3,4, Adi L Tarca1,2,5,6
1Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
This study deciphers maternal-fetal communication during labor using single-cell RNA sequencing. Placenta-derived signatures in maternal circulation may predict spontaneous preterm birth, offering potential for noninvasive biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Genomics
- Obstetrics
Background:
- Maternal-fetal cross-talk is crucial for labor but poorly understood at the cellular level.
- Previous studies lacked detailed cellular insights into placental communication during parturition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate maternal-fetal signaling in the human placenta during term labor using single-cell RNA sequencing.
- To identify placenta-derived signatures in maternal circulation for potential preterm birth prediction.
Main Methods:
- Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of human placenta during term labor.
- Cell-cell interaction analysis to identify signaling pathways.
- Integration with bulk transcriptomic data and analysis of maternal circulation.
Main Results:
- Single-cell atlas revealed labor-induced transcriptomic changes in maternal decidual, fetal stromal, and myeloid cells.
- Identified key signaling pathways (collagen, CXCL, TNF, galectin, IL-6) involved in labor.
- Placenta-derived signatures detected in maternal circulation, mirroring term and preterm labor.
Conclusions:
- Single-cell signatures provide insights into maternal-fetal cross-talk during human parturition.
- Placenta-derived signatures in maternal circulation show promise for noninvasive prediction of spontaneous preterm birth.
