<
https://theconversation.com/3d-printed-mini-placentas-offer-a-new-way-to-study-pregnancy-complications-261571>
"The placenta is a unique organ which exists only during pregnancy, growing at
tumour-like speed to the size of a small dinner plate. The placenta is
essential to the growth of every baby, but we’re missing key details about how
it develops.
Studying the placenta during pregnancy is difficult, as taking samples risks
introducing infection or triggering miscarriage. And placental tissue after
birth is very different from its early form.
Animal placentas are often distinct from human ones, so studying them is of
limited use. Pregnancy researchers have been left in the dark on the critical
early stages of placental development.
In new research published today in
Nature Communications, we report the first
3D-printed artificial mini-placentas. These “placental organoids” are an
advance over earlier efforts, and will give scientists new ways to study
pregnancy and shed light on complications like preeclampsia."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
