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Levenson D, Romero R, Miller D, Galaz J, Garcia-Flores V, Neshek B, Pique-Regi R, Gomez-Lopez N. The maternal-fetal interface at single-cell resolution: uncovering the cellular anatomy of the placenta and decidua. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2025; 232:S55-S79. [PMID: 40253083 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2024.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2024] [Accepted: 12/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2025]
Abstract
The maternal-fetal interface represents a critical site of immunological interactions that can greatly influence pregnancy outcomes. The unique cellular composition and cell-cell interactions taking place within these tissues has spurred substantial research efforts focused on the maternal-fetal interface. With the recent advent of single-cell technologies, multiple investigators have applied such methods to gain an unprecedented level of insight into maternal-fetal communication. Here, we provide an overview of the dynamic cellular composition and cell-cell communications at the maternal-fetal interface as reported by single-cell investigations. By primarily focusing on data from pregnancies in the second and third trimesters, we aim to showcase how single-cell technologies have bolstered the foundational understanding of each cell's contribution to physiologic gestation. Indeed, single-cell technologies have enabled the examination of classical placental cells, such as the trophoblast, as well as uncovered new roles for structural cells now recognized as active participants in pregnancy and parturition, such as decidual and fetal stromal cells, which are reviewed herein. Furthermore, single-cell data investigating the ontogeny, function, differentiation, and interactions among immune cells present at the maternal-fetal interface, namely macrophages, T cells, dendritic cells, neutrophils, mast cells, innate lymphoid cells, natural killer cells, and B cells are discussed in this review. Moreover, a key output of single-cell investigations is the inference of cell-cell interactions, which has been leveraged to not only dissect the intercellular communications within specific tissues but also between compartments such as the decidua basalis and placental villi. Collectively, this review emphasizes the ways by which single-cell technologies have expanded the understanding of cell composition and cellular processes underlying pregnancy in mid-to-late gestation at the maternal-fetal interface, which can prompt their continued application to reveal new pathways and targets for the treatment of obstetrical disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustyn Levenson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Roberto Romero
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - Derek Miller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Jose Galaz
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Valeria Garcia-Flores
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Barbara Neshek
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Roger Pique-Regi
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
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Garcia-Flores V, Romero R, Tarca AL, Peyvandipour A, Xu Y, Galaz J, Miller D, Chaiworapongsa T, Chaemsaithong P, Berry SM, Awonuga AO, Bryant DR, Pique-Regi R, Gomez-Lopez N. Deciphering maternal-fetal cross-talk in the human placenta during parturition using single-cell RNA sequencing. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadh8335. [PMID: 38198568 PMCID: PMC11238316 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adh8335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Labor is a complex physiological process requiring a well-orchestrated dialogue between the mother and fetus. However, the cellular contributions and communications that facilitate maternal-fetal cross-talk in labor have not been fully elucidated. Here, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was applied to decipher maternal-fetal signaling in the human placenta during term labor. First, a single-cell atlas of the human placenta was established, demonstrating that maternal and fetal cell types underwent changes in transcriptomic activity during labor. Cell types most affected by labor were fetal stromal and maternal decidual cells in the chorioamniotic membranes (CAMs) and maternal and fetal myeloid cells in the placenta. Cell-cell interaction analyses showed that CAM and placental cell types participated in labor-driven maternal and fetal signaling, including the collagen, C-X-C motif ligand (CXCL), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), galectin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) pathways. Integration of scRNA-seq data with publicly available bulk transcriptomic data showed that placenta-derived scRNA-seq signatures could be monitored in the maternal circulation throughout gestation and in labor. Moreover, comparative analysis revealed that placenta-derived signatures in term labor were mirrored by those in spontaneous preterm labor and birth. Furthermore, we demonstrated that early in gestation, labor-specific, placenta-derived signatures could be detected in the circulation of women destined to undergo spontaneous preterm birth, with either intact or prelabor ruptured membranes. Collectively, our findings provide insight into the maternal-fetal cross-talk of human parturition and suggest that placenta-derived single-cell signatures can aid in the development of noninvasive biomarkers for the prediction of preterm birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Garcia-Flores
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Roberto Romero
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Adi L Tarca
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University College of Engineering, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Azam Peyvandipour
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Yi Xu
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Jose Galaz
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
| | - Derek Miller
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Piya Chaemsaithong
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Stanley M Berry
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Awoniyi O Awonuga
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - David R Bryant
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Roger Pique-Regi
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Pregnancy Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892 and Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
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Danciu BM, Oţelea MR, Marincaş MA, Niţescu M, Simionescu AA. Is Spontaneous Preterm Prelabor of Membrane Rupture Irreversible? A Review of Potentially Curative Approaches. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1900. [PMID: 37509539 PMCID: PMC10377155 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
There is still no curative treatment for the spontaneous preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (sPPROM), the main cause of premature birth. Here, we summarize the most recent methods and materials used for sealing membranes after sPPROM. A literature search was conducted between 2013 and 2023 on reported newborns after membranes were sealed or on animal or tissue culture models. Fourteen studies describing the outcomes after using an amniopatch, an immunologic sealant, or a mechanical cervical adapter were included. According to these studies, an increase in the volume of amniotic fluid and the lack of chorioamnionitis demonstrate a favorable neonatal outcome, with a lower incidence of respiratory distress syndrome and early neonatal sepsis, even if sealing is not complete and stable. In vivo and in vitro models demonstrated that amniotic stem cells, in combination with amniocytes, can spontaneously repair small defects; because of the heterogenicity of the data, it is too early to draw a thoughtful conclusion. Future therapies should focus on materials and methods for sealing fetal membranes that are biocompatible, absorbable, available, easy to apply, and easily adherent to the fetal membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Mihaela Danciu
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatology, "Dr. Alfred Rusescu" National Institute for Maternal and Child Health, 127715 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marina Ruxandra Oţelea
- Clinical Department 5, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marian Augustin Marincaş
- First Department of Surgery, Bucharest Oncological Institute Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Maria Niţescu
- Preclinical Department 3, Complementary Sciences, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020125 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Anca Angela Simionescu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Filantropia Clinical Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
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