New Placental Protein May Signal Early Brain Development Issues

The placenta is a temporary organ that supplies oxygen and nutrients to a developing baby. While its basic functions are known, researchers have little information about how problems in the placenta affect mothers and children. A team at Virginia Tech led by associate professor John Chappell has identified a protein that was not previously known to exist in the placenta.

The protein, called soluble platelet‑derived growth factor receptor beta (sR‑beta), is oxygen‑sensitive and appears during vascular development in the placenta. Earlier work had linked it only to pericyte cell death, but the Virginia Tech team found it present during the formation of blood vessels, suggesting it may help regulate pericyte development.

Because sR‑beta is involved in vascular development, the researchers think it could serve as a warning sign. Detecting abnormal amounts of the protein might help predict disorders such as preeclampsia and early brain or eye problems that arise from poor blood flow. Future studies will examine how the protein behaves when the placenta is under stress and whether it can become a target for new treatments.