December 2, 1994Science
Implantation and the placenta: key pieces of the development puzzle
Authors
Discussion
Loading...
Member takes
Implication
Narrative review uncovers molecular mechanisms regulating implantation and placental function in mammals, highlighting causes of early embryonic mortality.
Key Points
- Summarize the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern embryo implantation, placental development, and embryonic survival in mammals.
- Synthesized molecular and developmental biology findings from human pregnancy studies and murine genetic models.
- Evaluated early cell lineage emergence—including trophoblast, endoderm, and extraembryonic mesoderm—alongside maternal uterine interactions.
- Early placental cell lineages establish essential maternal-fetal vascular connections for nutrient delivery while actively redirecting maternal endocrine, metabolic, and immune functions.
- Disruptions in peri-implantation signaling drive high rates of early embryonic mortality and clinical pregnancy diseases, matching phenotype observations from peri-implantation lethal mouse mutations.
Cite This Study
Cross et al. (1994) studied this question.