New placenta-on-a-chip model allows engineers to study effects of environmental toxins
Exposure to toxic metals like cadmium has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, preterm birth and low birth weight. Because these effects are difficult and ethically challenging to study directly in pregnant women, how such exposures affect pregnancy has remained poorly understood.
A new placenta-on-a-chip model developed by Dan Huh and his team at Penn Engineering allows scientists to study the effects of environmental toxins on pregnancy outcomes. This model recreates the maternal-fetal interface using human placental cells and provides a way to investigate how toxic metals like cadmium impact pregnancy.
The researchers found that even low levels of cadmium exposure can impair the placenta's ability to support fetal development, despite not killing cells. The model also uncovered a protective mechanism involving a protein called breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) that helps the placenta defend itself against toxic exposure.
Additionally, the researchers identified metabolic changes in both maternal and fetal compartments of the engineered placenta, which could potentially serve as biomarkers for cadmium exposure damage. While these findings offer valuable insights into the effects of environmental toxins on pregnancy, the placenta-on-a-chip technology is currently a preclinical research platform and not yet a diagnostic tool or treatment.
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