Bioprinted 3D vascularized human placenta models recapitulate early and late stages of pregnancy

Malfunction of the placenta causes disorders of the pregnancy, including preeclampsia and pre-term birth. The study of the pathophysiology of the placenta at different stages of pregnancy has been hindered by limited access to the human placenta and lack of predictive cellular and animal models.

Here, we describe a 3D bioprinted vascularized human placenta barrier (hPB) tissue models using primary human trophoblasts and stroma cells that recapitulate the physiology of the human placenta at early and late stages of gestation. These bioprinted vascularized hPB tissue models mimic the architecture and function of late and early-stages human placenta, including barrier function, nutrient uptake, transporters activity and hormones secretion.