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The placenta as a window into neonatal brain injury
Elmira Bachinsky1, Lauren Guyer1, Riddhi Patel2
1Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Seminars in Perinatology
|September 14, 2025
Summary
The placenta
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Immunology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The placenta is a vital communication hub between mother and fetus.
- Placental immune signaling is crucial for pregnancy maintenance and fetal development.
- Inflammation, such as chorioamnionitis, can disrupt placental function and impact fetal neurodevelopment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review immune signaling and inflammatory cell communication along the maternal-placental-fetal axis.
- To explore how immune dysfunction impacts neurodevelopment.
- To discuss mechanisms underlying perinatal brain injury and potential therapeutic strategies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on chorioamnionitis as a model.
- Analysis of cellular and molecular mechanisms of placental inflammation.
- Examination of neuroinflammatory pathways and clinical outcomes.
Main Results:
- Placental inflammation can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders via neural network disruption and immune interactions.
- Chorioamnionitis serves as a model for understanding maternal-placental-fetal immune signaling.
- Specific inflammatory triggers and pathophysiology of perinatal brain injury are delineated.
Conclusions:
- Understanding placental immune responses is key to preventing perinatal brain injury.
- Neuroimmunomodulation, biomarkers, and precision medicine offer promising clinical approaches.
- Targeting placental inflammation can mitigate adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.
