Mary Spring: The tree of life: 3D lightsheet microscopy of placental villous and blood vessel branches

<p dir="ltr">3D fluorescent lightsheet microscopy of the placenta’s terminal villous tissue, a snapshot into our research on placental development in normal and growth restricted pregnancies. The terminal villi (green) contain capillary loops (red) which are the major sites of oxygen and nutrient exchange between mother and fetus. The placenta's vascular-rich villous network plays a pivotal role in fetal growth. In cases of fetal growth restriction (FGR), maldeveloped villous and vascular structures limit blood flow and exchange, impacting fetal growth. Here, lightsheet microscopy offers spatial and topological insights that is limited with traditional histology. This image showcases our ability to explore the 3D morphology of placental structures, advancing our understanding of structural differences between normal and pathological placentae. Such insights have potential to better inform diagnostics and therapies for FGR.</p>