Discovery of Zika virus host dependency factors in trophoblasts using CRISPR/Cas9 screening

CRISPR-empowered hybridization chain reaction amplification for an attomolar electrochemical sensor

Rapid pathogen screening holds the key against certain viral infections, especially in an overwhelming pandemic. Herein, a CRISPR-empowered electrochemical biosensor was designed for the ultrasensitive detection of the avian influenza A (H7N9) virus gene sequence. Combining the CRISPR/Cas system, a signal-amplification strategy and a high-conductivity sensing substrate, the developed biosensor showed an ultrawide dynamic range, an ultralow detection limit, and excellent selectivity for H7N9 detection, providing a potential sensing platform for the simple, fast, sensitive, and on-site detection of infectious diseases.

The mystery of the life tree: the placenta

The placenta is the interface between the fetal and maternal environments during mammalian gestation, critically safeguarding the health of the developing fetus and the mother. Placental trophoblasts origin from embryonic trophectoderm that differentiates into various trophoblastic subtypes through villous and extravillous pathways. The trophoblasts actively interact with multiple decidual cells and immune cells at the maternal-fetal interface and thus construct fundamental functional units, which are responsible for blood perfusion, maternal-fetal material exchange, placental endocrine, immune tolerance, and adequate defense barrier against pathogen infection. Various pregnant complications are tightly associated with the defects in placental development and function maintenance. In this review, we summarize the current views and our recent progress on the mechanisms underlying the formation of placental functional units, the interactions among trophoblasts and various uterine cells, as well as the placental barrier against pathogen infections during pregnancy. The involvement of placental dysregulation in adverse pregnancy outcomes is discussed.