Adaptability and potential for treatment of placental functions to improve embryonic development and postnatal health.

摘要: For an organ that is so critical for life in eutherian mammals, the placenta hardly gets attention it deserves. The does a series of remarkable things, including implanting embryo uterus, negotiating with mother nutrients but also protecting her health during pregnancy, helping establish normal metabolic and cardiovascular function postnatally (developmental programming) initiating changes prepare to care suckle young after birth. Different lines evidence experimental animals suggest development are adaptable. This means some observed pathological pregnancies may represent attempts mitigate impact fetal growth development. Key emerging concepts reviewed here concerning how we view diagnostically therapeutically pregnancy complications, focusing on information from studies mice, sheep cattle, as well association humans. Hundreds different genes have been shown underlie placental function, which promise tractable targets intervention at risk poor growth.