Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026

Author Spotlight: Modeling an Aspect of Preeclampsia in Female Mice Using Hypoxic Human Placenta-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles
Published on: January 26, 2024
Extracellular Vesicles and the Placenta-Brain Axis: Mechanisms of Shared Risk in Pregnancy and Perinatal Psychiatry
Hannah Hazzard1,2,3, Brianna Blaine1,3, Benjamin B Borrman2,3
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Dr. Iowa City, IA 52327, USA.
Abstract:
Disorders of pregnancy and psychiatric conditions in mothers and affected children have high rates of comorbidity and underlying mechanistic overlap. We propose that extracellular vesicles (EVs) may subserve this shared psycho-obstetric risk. EVs are small lipid bilayer-bound particles containing regulatory nucleic acids and proteins that are released from cells into circulation, where they readily cross blood-brain and placental barriers. In pregnancy, EVs are produced in large numbers by the placenta and have been implicated in pregnancy-related medical and psychiatric conditions via vascular, endocrine, and immune mechanisms.
More Related Videos
04:17Author Spotlight: Advancing Research Through Single Cell Sequencing and Spatial Histology in Placental Tissues
Published on: September 8, 2023
05:22Ex vivo Culture of Human Placental Explants for the Study of Viral Transmission Across the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: December 30, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Teratogenicity
Physiological Barriers
The blood endothelial barrier is the most porous of these. It allows all small ionized, un-ionized, and lipophilic molecules to pass through the endothelial lining into the interstitial space...
Development of Blood Vessels
The initial formation of this system is facilitated by the small amount of yolk present in the ovum and yolk sac. Blood vessels originate from...
Fetal Circulation
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...
Increased Intracranial Pressure ll: Pathophysiology
Cerebral Edema ll: Pathophysiology