Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2025
Author Spotlight: Modeling an Aspect of Preeclampsia in Female Mice Using Hypoxic Human Placenta-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles
Published on: January 26, 2024
Lipid profile of circulating placental extracellular vesicles during pregnancy identifies foetal growth restriction
Miira M Klemetti1,2, Ante B V Pettersson3, Aafaque Ahmad Khan4
1Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Researchers identified specific placental small extracellular vesicle (sEV) lipid signatures in maternal blood that can predict small-for-gestational age (SGA) neonates. This lipidomic approach offers a potential new method for early SGA risk detection in pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Neonatal Medicine
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Small-for-gestational age (SGA) neonates face higher risks of perinatal complications and adult chronic diseases.
- Current maternal blood-based screening for SGA risk is lacking, representing a significant unmet clinical need.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore placental small extracellular vesicle (sEV) lipid profiles in maternal circulation for SGA prediction.
- To identify specific lipid signatures associated with normal pregnancy trajectories and SGA development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized high-resolution MS/MSALL shotgun lipidomics to analyze sEVs from 195 normal and 41 SGA pregnancies.
- Serially profiled lipid signatures throughout gestation, correlating them with maternal characteristics and birthweight centiles.
Main Results:
- Identified distinct placental sEV lipid signatures defining normal pregnancy progression.
- Demonstrated that specific sEV lipid features, especially in early gestation, are highly predictive of SGA infants.
- Showcased changes in lipid profiles related to maternal parity and ethnicity.
Conclusions:
- Circulating placental sEV lipidomics can serve as a predictive biomarker for SGA neonates.
- This lipidomic-based approach holds promise for improving early detection of SGA pregnancies.
- Addresses a critical gap in clinical obstetrics for timely SGA risk assessment.
Abstract:
Small-for-gestational age (SGA) neonates exhibit increased perinatal morbidity and mortality, and a greater risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. Currently, no effective maternal blood-based screening methods for determining SGA risk are available. We used a high-resolution MS/MSALL shotgun lipidomic approach to explore the lipid profiles of small extracellular vesicles (sEV) released from the placenta into the circulation of pregnant individuals. Samples were acquired from 195 normal and 41 SGA pregnancies. Lipid profiles were determined serially across pregnancy. We identified specific lipid signatures of placental sEVs that define the trajectory of a normal pregnancy and their changes occurring in relation to maternal characteristics (parity and ethnicity) and birthweight centile. We constructed a multivariate model demonstrating that specific lipid features of circulating placental sEVs, particularly during early gestation, are highly predictive of SGA infants. Lipidomic-based biomarker development promises to improve the early detection of pregnancies at risk of developing SGA, an unmet clinical need in obstetrics.
