UCSF Maps Maternal-Fetal Interface in Detail

Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco have created the most detailed map to date of the maternal-fetal interface, the temporary organ linking a pregnant woman's uterus to her developing fetus. Published on April 8 in the journal Nature, the study analyzed tissues from healthy pregnancies spanning weeks five to 39, revealing new cell types and molecular mechanisms that could explain complications like preeclampsia, preterm birth and miscarriage.

The maternal-fetal interface forms about a week after fertilization and persists until birth. It consists of uterine cells from the mother and placental cells from the fetus, serving as a barrier that supports fetal growth, facilitates nutrient exchange and protects maternal health. Its cellular complexity has historically hindered research into normal development and disorders. To overcome this, the UCSF team, led by Jingjing Li, an associate professor in the Department of Neurology, integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility profiling with submicrometer-resolution spatial transcriptomics and multiplex protein imaging.

Researchers examined approximately 200,000 individual cells isolated from...