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Updated: Jul 23, 2026
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Isolation and Profiling of Human Primary Mesenteric Arterial Endothelial Cells at the Transcriptome Level
Published on: March 14, 2022
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Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics: Discovery of human placental development and disease
Mi Tang1, Liling Xiong2, Jianghui Cai3
1Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China.
FASEB Bioadvances
|November 8, 2024
Summary
Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics reveal human placenta cell diversity and communication in normal pregnancy and diseases like preeclampsia. These advanced technologies illuminate placental development and complications.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Genomics
- Developmental biology
Background:
- The human placenta is crucial for fetal development, substance exchange, and immunity.
- Placental cell abnormalities are linked to pregnancy complications, but underlying mechanisms are unclear.
- Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics offer powerful tools to study placental complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and summarize current literature on single-cell and spatial transcriptomics in human placenta research.
- To highlight placental cell heterogeneity and cell-cell communication in normal and diseased states.
- To discuss limitations and future directions in placental single-cell and spatial transcriptomics.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing scientific literature.
- Analysis of studies utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq).
- Analysis of studies utilizing spatial transcriptomics.
Main Results:
- Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics demonstrate significant heterogeneity among human placental cell types.
- These technologies reveal intricate cell-cell communication networks within the normal placenta.
- Aberrant placental cell heterogeneity and communication are observed in conditions like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, and placenta accreta spectrum disorders.
Conclusions:
- Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics are essential for understanding human placental development and function.
- These technologies provide insights into the mechanisms of various pregnancy complications.
- Further research is needed to address current limitations and fully leverage these techniques for clinical applications.
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