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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Cellular Biochemistry
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1528714

The regulatory role of placental extracellular vesicle on trophoblast and endothelial cell functions

Provisionally accepted
Kunfeng Bai Kunfeng Bai 1,2Xintong Li Xintong Li 2Leqian Lin Leqian Lin 3Philip Chi Ngong Chiu Philip Chi Ngong Chiu 2,3*Cheuk-Lun Lee Cheuk-Lun Lee 4*
  • 1 Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
  • 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China
  • 3 Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Shenzhen Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
  • 4 Department of Health Technology and Informatics, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived, membrane-bound vesicles that carry molecular cargo to facilitate communication between cells. During pregnancy, EVs are secreted by the syncytiotrophoblast layer of the placenta villi, where they mediate the functions of resident leukocytes and invading extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) in the decidua. This study aims to isolate placental EVs (pEVs) from placental explant to examine their regulatory roles on EVT and endothelial cell functions. pEVs were successfully isolated from ex vivo cultured placental explant, which were capable to be internalized by EVTs and endothelial cells. pEVs stimulated the differentiation of trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) and enhanced the migration and invasion abilities of EVTs via CD147 receptor. Conversely, pEVs inhibited the tube formation ability and interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion of endothelial cells. Together, these findings partially elucidate the role of pEVs during early pregnancy establishment, which may provide insights into pregnancy-related disorders.

    Keywords: Extracellular vesicle, trophoblast, Endothelial Cells, Spiral artery remodeling, CD147

    Received: 15 Nov 2024; Accepted: 24 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Bai, Li, Lin, Chiu and Lee. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Philip Chi Ngong Chiu, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China
    Cheuk-Lun Lee, Department of Health Technology and Informatics, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.