Mallery Christopher S, Carrillo Maira, Mei Ariel, Correia-Branco Ana, Kashpur Olga, Wallingford Mary C
Tufts Medical Center, Mother Infant Research Institute, 800 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111 USA.
Texas A&M University - San Antonio, One University Way, San Antonio, 78224 USA.
Curr Stem Cell Rep. 2021;7(4):185-193. doi: 10.1007/s40778-021-00194-6. Epub 2021 Oct 20.
The placenta is a transient organ that forms de novo and serves a critical role in supporting fetal growth and development. Placental oxygen, nutrients, and waste are transported through processes that depend on vascular structure and cell type-specific expression and localization of membrane transporters. Understanding how the placenta develops holds great significance for maternal-fetal medicine. The purpose of this review is to examine current information regarding placental progenitor populations.
Recent advancements in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provide unprecedented depth for the investigation of cell type-specific gene expression patterns in the placenta. Thus far, several mouse placenta scRNA-seq studies have been conducted which produced and analyzed transcriptomes of placental progenitors and cells of the fully developed placenta between embryonic day (E) 7.0 and E12.5. Together with human placenta scRNA-seq data which, in part, has been produced through coordinated research campaigns in the scientific community to understand the potential for SARS-CoV-2 infection, these mammalian studies lend fundamental insight into the cellular and molecular composition of hemochorial placentae found in both mouse and human.
Single-cell placenta research has advanced understanding of tissue-resident stem cells and molecules that are poised to support maternal-fetal communication and nutrient transport. Herein, we provide context for these recent findings by reviewing placental anatomy and cell populations, and discuss recent scRNA-seq mouse placenta findings. Further research is needed to evaluate the utility of placental stem cells in the development of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of wound healing and disease.
胎盘是一个从头形成的临时性器官，在支持胎儿生长发育中起关键作用。胎盘的氧气、营养物质和废物通过依赖血管结构以及膜转运蛋白的细胞类型特异性表达和定位的过程进行运输。了解胎盘的发育对母胎医学具有重要意义。本综述的目的是研究有关胎盘祖细胞群体的当前信息。
单细胞RNA测序（scRNA-seq）的最新进展为研究胎盘中细胞类型特异性基因表达模式提供了前所未有的深度。到目前为止，已经进行了几项小鼠胎盘scRNA-seq研究，这些研究生成并分析了胚胎第（E）7.0天至E12.5天之间胎盘祖细胞和完全发育胎盘细胞的转录组。连同人类胎盘scRNA-seq数据（部分是通过科学界的协同研究活动生成的，以了解SARS-CoV-2感染的可能性），这些哺乳动物研究为小鼠和人类中发现的血绒毛膜胎盘的细胞和分子组成提供了基本见解。
单细胞胎盘研究加深了对组织驻留干细胞和有望支持母胎通讯及营养运输的分子的理解。在此，我们通过回顾胎盘解剖结构和细胞群体为这些最新发现提供背景，并讨论最近的scRNA-seq小鼠胎盘研究结果。需要进一步研究以评估胎盘干细胞在开发用于治疗伤口愈合和疾病的新治疗方法中的效用。
