Biology of Human Placental Stem Cells and Preterm Birth

One of the major limitations of the study of human parturition has been the relative lack of availability of the relevant human fetal and maternal cell types and the inability to maintain these cells in culture for long periods of time. Further, there has been no feasible way of comparing such cells from mothers and placentas after normal deliveries versus preterm births (PTB). However the ability to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from patients with disorders of any organ system has provided revolutionary approaches for modeling human disease in a culture dish. Unlimited amounts of human tissues can be generated from iPSCs that carry genetic variations that cause or facilitate the development of disease. However, at the present time placental cell types cannot be studied with this approach because techniques have not been developed for their differentiation from iPSCs. A primary goal of this project will be to develop such techniques.