Speaker
Description
The bidirectional communication between placenta and embryonic brain during pregnancy, known as placenta-brain axis, is an important aspect of embryonic development in placental mammals, including humans. Recently we have shown that the maternal environment of pregnancy dominantly regulates the length of neurogenesis in the embryonic brain. The brain vascular system is a key intermediate to relay this dominant regulation. Additionally, the molecular signaling from the cells forming the brain vasculature – endothelial cells and perivascular cells – include several other key factors that mediate neurovascular interactions to ensure proper nutrient delivery, neuronal differentiation, and blood-brain barrier formation. Disruption in placenta-brain axis and/or neurovascular communication can therefore lead to neurodevelopmental disorders, thus underscoring their fundamental role in brain morphogenesis. A deeper understanding of these bidirectional communications can offer valuable insights into congenital brain anomalies. We are using our previously developed inter-strain embryo transfer system as a tool to understand how placenta-brain axis and neurovascular communication regulate embryonic brain development.
| Author(s) | Samir Vaid*(1), Barbara K Stepien (2), Ronald Naumann (3), Anja Holtz (3), Jörg Braumann (3), Wieland B Huttner (3), Denis Jabaudon (4), Hagen B Huttner (1) |
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| Affiliation(s) | (1) Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany, (2) Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany, (3) Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics Dresden, Germany, (4) Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland |
