Welcome to our website
At the Placental Molecular Physiology lab, we investigate different aspects of the embryo-maternal dialogue that drives the implantation process.
Successful implantation and pregnancy depend on a series of cellular and molecular interactions, highly synchronized in time and space. These unique processes involve the regulation of cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis by growth factors, cytokines, and hormones of embryonic as well as maternal origin, to allow trophoblast invasion, vascular development and placentation. Pregnancy is also a singular condition in which the maternal immune system is delicately modulated, promoting tolerance to placental alloantigens but at the same time remaining capable of mounting an effective response to protect the mother and the developing fetus.
Our main research goal is to understand the regulation of leptin gene expression on human placental tissue. We are particularly interested in the molecular mechanisms by which leptin promotes proliferation and survival of trophoblast cells, as well as its role as a placental cytokine modulating the activation and function of maternal immune cells.
More recently we have focused on the isolation and characterization of human amniotic epithelial cells, which display stem cell-like features and immunomodulatory properties and may constitute an important tool for therapeutical interventions in different physiopathological settings.