Chorionic trophoblast cells demonstrate functionally different phenotypes from placental trophoblasts.

Chorionic trophoblast cells (CTCs) are one of the principal components of the fetal membrane and join with the decidua to form a feto-maternal interface. Recent success in isolating CTCs dealt with two separate questions: (1) The necessity of highly enriched and defined media with inhibitors of oxidative stress and cell transition and their impact on growth and trophoblast phenotype, (2) The functional differences between CTCs and other placental trophoblast lineages of cells (placental cytotrophoblast cells [PTC], and extravillous trophoblast [EVT]). CTCs were cultured either in defined media with various inhibitors or in media from which inhibitors were removed individually.

Calotropis procera extract inhibits prostate cancer through regulation of autophagy.

Current treatment options available for prostate cancer (PCa) patients have many adverse side effects and hence, new alternative therapies need to be explored. Anticancer potential of various phytochemicals derived from Calotropis procera has been studied in many cancers but no study has investigated the effect of leaf extract of C. procera on PCa cells.

Epigenetic regulation of epithelial to mesenchymal transition: a trophoblast perspective.

Epigenetic changes alter the expression of genes at both pre- and post-transcriptional levels without changing their DNA sequence. Accumulating evidence suggests that such changes can modify cellular behavior and characteristics required during development and in response to various extracellular stimuli. Trophoblast cells develop from the outermost trophectoderm layer of the blastocyst and undergo many phenotypic changes as the placenta develops.

MicroRNA-141-3p and miR-200a-3p regulate insulin-like growth factor 2 during mouse placental development.

Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) plays a vital role in fetal and placental development throughout gestation. Placental expression of IGF2 decreases substantially in intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) and Igf2 null mice develop small placentas. In this report, we examined the role of microRNAs in regulating Igf2 gene expression during mouse placental development.