# 3D Multiscale Spatial Mapping of the Human Placenta

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2020 · $326,184

## Abstract

SUMMARY
The goal of OSP1 is to generate three-dimensional multiscale maps of the human placenta from healthy
uncomplicated pregnancies. OSP1 will interact with the other FR TMC Cores/Projects and the other HuBMAP
Centers to facilitate data and resource sharing across the Consortium and with the broader scientific
community. The placenta is the interface between mother and fetus, mediating exchange of nutrients and
metabolic wastes and producing endocrine signals that promote maintenance of the pregnancy and proper
fetal growth. The placenta is comprised largely of cells of fetal origin, including stromal cells, capillary
endothelial cells, and three types of trophoblast: proliferative cytotrophoblast; hormone-producing and
transport-mediating syncytiotrophoblast; and invasive extravillous trophoblast. The placenta also contains fetal
and maternal immune cells, which mediate immunologic responses to infection and may play roles in placental
development. Abnormalities in placental development and function have been linked to the most common and
serious complications of pregnancy, but details of the mechanisms leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes
remain to be elucidated. To enable future studies aimed at identifying the structural and functional
perturbations that underlie placental dysfunction-mediated pregnancy complications, we propose to generate a
reference dataset from normal term placentas. Importantly, the complementary strengths of our investigative
team enable us to obtain longitudinal prenatal in vivo MRI and ultrasound imaging data and post-delivery
biomechanical and molecular profiling data from the same organs. Rigorous pre-analytical and characterization
pipelines will ensure collection of high-quality biospecimens and generation of reproducible data. A range of
advanced molecular profiling techniques will be used, including initial bulk and dissociated single-cell
transcriptomic, chromatin accessibility, and extracellular matrix proteomic profiling to identify component cell
types and prioritize targets. These targets will then be interrogated using high-resolution multiplexed spatial
transcriptomic and imaging mass cytometry technologies. The resulting data, linked to comprehensive
metadata, will be transferred on an ongoing basis to the DAC, and analyzed collaboratively with the DAC, and
investigators at the HIVE. Finally, we will to generate 3D multiscale maps of the placenta that can be explored
to gain novel insights into the physical and regulatory relationships among different cell types, between cells
and their environment, and between tissue structure on the microscopic level and whole-organ function.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10119158
- **Project number:** 1U54HD104393-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Mana M Parast
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $326,184
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-25 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10119158

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10119158, 3D Multiscale Spatial Mapping of the Human Placenta (1U54HD104393-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10119158. Licensed CC0.

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