| New drugs made from nanoparticles that can easily penetrate any interface within our bodies are a great hope in medicine. For such hopefuls to reach the market, their safety must be ensured. In this context, it must also be clarified what happens if a substance manages to penetrate the natural barrier between baby and mother, the placenta, in the body of pregnant women. | |
| “Environmental toxins can also pose a major threat to the sensitive fetus if they penetrate the placental barrier or disrupt the development and function of the placenta, thus indirectly harming the fetus,” explains Tina Bürki, Empa researcher at the Particles-Biology Interactions lab in St. Gallen. | |
| A team from Empa and ETH Zurich has been working for some time on the question of how this so-called embryotoxicity of substances can be determined precisely, simply and reliably. Now the team is developing a new system that will detect embryo-damaging substances without the need for animal testing. The recently launched project is funded by the Zurich-based ProCare Foundation. |
A universe in a polymer case |
|
| At the heart of the process will be a polymer chip, about the length of a human finger, that houses a small universe: Human cells grow on the chip that are to model the placental barrier and the embryo under conditions that are as close to reality as possible. For this purpose, cells of the placenta are cultivated on a porous membrane to form a dense barrier, and embryonic stem cells are formed into a tiny tissue sphere in a drop of nutrient solution. | |
| To simulate blood circulation, a shaker continuously tilts the chip back and forth. Test substances can be added to the maternal side of the placenta. This allows the researchers to study the transport of the test substance and the effects on both tissues. | |
| “We already know that such a test system can work, as a simplified prototype was developed during a preliminary study with the Bio-engineering lab at ETH Zurich,” says Bürki. | |
| What is special about this new chip is that the researchers want to improve the cell models by replacing the previously used laboratory cell lines or mouse cells with so-called primary human cells and a human stem cell line. | |
| “We are working closely with the gynecological clinic of the Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen and can isolate the cells we are looking for from placental tissue that would otherwise be discarded after birth,” Bürki explains. | |
| The cells will be used to develop an improved three-dimensional placenta model. Ultimately, the embryo-placenta chip will allow the interaction of placenta and embryo to be reproduced and transport processes at the placenta as well as direct and indirect harmful effects of a substance on embryonic development to be investigated. | |
Alternative model advantageous |
|
| Studies on the developmental toxicity of drugs and environmental toxins currently rely on animal experiments with pregnant mice. In the EU, for example, 840,000 animals were used in toxicity and safety research in 2017, of which nearly 100,000 were used for developmental toxicity. Thanks to the new chip, the number of these animal experiments could be significantly reduced. | |
| This is not only an important goal from an ethical point of view, because the significance of a test with pregnant mice is not optimal for assessing drug safety in humans: “The placenta has a very specific structure in each species – and in mice it is correspondingly different from that in humans,” says Empa researcher Bürki. | |
| Better insights can be gained from the alternative in vitro model, i.e. the new system “in the test tube”, because the new chip technology with primary human cells can more reliably map what happens at the interface between mother and child. |
Accelerating new therapies |
|
| The new test system is intended as a simple and precise way to check the safety of a substance early in the development of new drugs and thus accelerate the application of new therapies. In this way, the chip supports the safe-by-design principle, which envisions the early integration of safety aspects into the innovation process. | |
| The need for developmental toxicity studies in industry is also increasing for another reason: The safety of chemicals and particles in the environment needs to be clarified, as required by the current REACH chemicals regulation. “The placenta embryo chip should ultimately be a user-friendly test kit that can provide important data on potential health risks during pregnancy,” she said. | |
| The project’s results are also expected to help fill knowledge gaps in understanding the placental barrier. “The chip will be a model that brings together the processes at the placenta and in the embryo. In this way, we hope to better understand the complex interactions that take place by means of signaling substances in the future,” says Tina Bürki. |
News
Platelet-inspired nanoparticles could improve treatment of inflammatory diseases
Scientists have developed platelet-inspired nanoparticles that deliver anti-inflammatory drugs directly to brain-computer interface implants, doubling their effectiveness. Scientists have found a way to improve the performance of brain-computer interface (BCI) electrodes by delivering anti-inflammatory drugs directly [...]
After 150 years, a new chapter in cancer therapy is finally beginning
For decades, researchers have been looking for ways to destroy cancer cells in a targeted manner without further weakening the body. But for many patients whose immune system is severely impaired by chemotherapy or radiation, [...]
Older chemical libraries show promise for fighting resistant strains of COVID-19 virus
SARS‑CoV‑2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues to mutate, with some newer strains becoming less responsive to current antiviral treatments like Paxlovid. Now, University of California San Diego scientists and an international team of [...]
Lower doses of immunotherapy for skin cancer give better results, study suggests
According to a new study, lower doses of approved immunotherapy for malignant melanoma can give better results against tumors, while reducing side effects. This is reported by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in the Journal of the National [...]
Researchers highlight five pathways through which microplastics can harm the brain
Microplastics could be fueling neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, with a new study highlighting five ways microplastics can trigger inflammation and damage in the brain. More than 57 million people live with dementia, [...]
Tiny Metal Nanodots Obliterate Cancer Cells While Largely Sparing Healthy Tissue
Scientists have developed tiny metal-oxide particles that push cancer cells past their stress limits while sparing healthy tissue. An international team led by RMIT University has developed tiny particles called nanodots, crafted from a metallic compound, [...]
Gold Nanoclusters Could Supercharge Quantum Computers
Researchers found that gold “super atoms” can behave like the atoms in top-tier quantum systems—only far easier to scale. These tiny clusters can be customized at the molecular level, offering a powerful, tunable foundation [...]
A single shot of HPV vaccine may be enough to fight cervical cancer, study finds
WASHINGTON -- A single HPV vaccination appears just as effective as two doses at preventing the viral infection that causes cervical cancer, researchers reported Wednesday. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is very common and spread [...]
New technique overcomes technological barrier in 3D brain imaging
Scientists at the Swiss Light Source SLS have succeeded in mapping a piece of brain tissue in 3D at unprecedented resolution using X-rays, non-destructively. The breakthrough overcomes a long-standing technological barrier that had limited [...]
Scientists Uncover Hidden Blood Pattern in Long COVID
Researchers found persistent microclot and NET structures in Long COVID blood that may explain long-lasting symptoms. Researchers examining Long COVID have identified a structural connection between circulating microclots and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). The [...]
This Cellular Trick Helps Cancer Spread, but Could Also Stop It
Groups of normal cbiells can sense far into their surroundings, helping explain cancer cell migration. Understanding this ability could lead to new ways to limit tumor spread. The tale of the princess and the [...]
New mRNA therapy targets drug-resistant pneumonia
Bacteria that multiply on surfaces are a major headache in health care when they gain a foothold on, for example, implants or in catheters. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have found [...]
Current Heart Health Guidelines Are Failing To Catch a Deadly Genetic Killer
New research reveals that standard screening misses most people with a common inherited cholesterol disorder. A Mayo Clinic study reports that current genetic screening guidelines overlook most people who have familial hypercholesterolemia, an inherited disorder that [...]
Scientists Identify the Evolutionary “Purpose” of Consciousness
Summary: Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum explore why consciousness evolved and why different species developed it in distinct ways. By comparing humans with birds, they show that complex awareness may arise through different neural architectures yet [...]
Novel mRNA therapy curbs antibiotic-resistant infections in preclinical lung models
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and collaborators have reported early success with a novel mRNA-based therapy designed to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The findings, published in Nature Biotechnology, show that in [...]
New skin-permeable polymer delivers insulin without needles
A breakthrough zwitterionic polymer slips through the skin’s toughest barriers, carrying insulin deep into tissue and normalizing blood sugar, offering patients a painless alternative to daily injections. A recent study published in the journal Nature examines [...]
