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Human placental biology at single‐cell resolution: a contemporaneous review
Author(s) -
Barrozo ER,
Aagaard KM
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/1471-0528.16970
Subject(s) - biology , immune system , single cell analysis , computational biology , cell , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , genetics
Single‐cell technologies capture cellular heterogeneity to focus on previously poorly described subpopulations of cells. Work by our laboratory and many others has metagenomically characterised a low biomass intrauterine microbial community, alongside microbial transcripts, antigens and metabolites, but the functional importance of low biomass microbial communities in placental immuno‐microenvironments is still being elucidated. Given their hypothesised role in modulating inflammation and immune ontogeny to enable tolerance of beneficial microbes while warding off pathogens, there is a need for single‐cell resolution. Herein, we summarise the potential for mechanistic understanding of these and other key fundamental early developmental processes by applying single‐cell approaches.