Gelatin hydrogel can be used in trophoblast spheroid motility assays, study shows

Trophoblast cells, which surround the developing blastocyst early in pregnancy, play an important role in implantation in the uterine wall. A new multivariate model of trophoblast motility using action hydrogel is described in the peer-reviewed journal Fine Engineering, Part A..

This valuable new device, based on methacrylamide-activated gelatin hydrogel, can be used for three-dimensional spheroid trophoblast motility assessments. It can resolve measurable differences in outdoor area and operational capability in the presence of a known attack promoter and a known attack defender.

Implantation involves highly coordinated molecular communication between endometrial cells and trophoblast cells. Developing a deeper understanding of the biological mechanisms surrounding implantation may provide a much-needed insight into severe and debilitating disorders. “

Brendan Harley and Coauthors, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“Dr. Harley and his colleagues at Illinois have provided groundbreaking work for the growing field of heavy models, with a particular focus on the role of trophoblast migration. Here, the research team happily demonstrated that key Factors – EGF and TGF-beta1 – play a vital role in altering trophoblast motility, thus providing a pathway for a better understanding of these events during normal and complex pregnancies, “she says. Fine engineering Co-Managing Editor John P. Fisher, PhD, Distinguished Fischell Family Professor & Department Chair, and Director of the NIH Center for Complex Engineering Materials at the University of Maryland.