1.
Antiviral properties of placental growth factors: A novel therapeutic approach for COVID-19 treatment.
Joshi, MG, Kshersagar, J, Desai, SR, Sharma, S
Placenta. 2020;:117-130
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Abstract
The current challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic is complicated by the limited therapeutic options against the virus, with many being anecdotal or still undergoing confirmatory trials, underlining the urgent need for novel strategies targeting the virus. The pulmotropic virus causes loss of oxygenation in severe cases with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and need for mechanical ventilation. This work seeks to introduce placental extract-derived biologically active components as a therapeutic option and highlights their mechanism of action relevant to COVID-19 virus. Human placenta has been used in clinical practice for over a century and there is substantial experience in clinical applications of placental extract for different indications. Aqueous extract of human placentacontains growth factors, cytokines/chemokines, natural metabolic and other compounds, anti-oxidants, amino acids, vitamins, trace elements and biomolecules, which individually or in combination show accelerated cellular metabolism, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects, cellular proliferation and stimulation of tissue regeneration processes. Placental extract treatment is proposed as a suitable therapeutic approach consideringthe above properties which could protect against initial viral entry and acute inflammation of alveolar epithelial cells, reconstitute pulmonary microenvironment and regenerate the lung. We reviewed useful therapeutic information of placental biomolecules in relation to COVID-19 treatment. We propose the new approach of using placental growth factors, chemokines and cytokine which will execute antiviral activity in coordination with innate and humoral immunity and improve patient's immunological responses to COVID-19. Executing a clinical trial using placental extract as preventive, protective and/or therapeutic approach for COVID-19treatment could advance the development of a most promising therapeutic candidate that can join the armamentaria against the COVID-19 virus.
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[Maternal-placental interactions and fetal programming].
Kadyrov, M, Moser, G, Rath, W, Kweider, N, Wruck, CJ, Pufe, T, Huppertz, B
Zeitschrift fur Geburtshilfe und Neonatologie. 2013;(3):88-94
Abstract
Pregnancy-related complications not only represent a risk for maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, but are also a risk for several diseases later in life. Many epidemiological studies have shown clear associations between an adverse intrauterine environment and an increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, depression, obesity, and other chronic diseases in the adult. Some of these syndromes could be prevented by avoiding adverse stimuli or insults including psychological stress during pregnancy, intake of drugs, insufficient diet and substandard working conditions. Hence, all of these stimuli have the potential to alter health later in life. The placenta plays a key role in regulating the nutrient supply to the fetus and producing hormones that control the fetal as well as the maternal metabolism. Thus, any factor or stimulus that alters the function of the hormone producing placental trophoblast will provoke critical alterations of placental function and hence could induce programming of the fetus. The factors that change placental development may interfere with nutrient and oxygen supply to the fetus. This may be achieved by a direct disturbance of the placental barrier or more indirectly by, e. g., disturbing trophoblast invasion. For both path-ways, the respective pathologies are known: while preeclampsia is caused by alterations of the villous trophoblast, intra-uterine growth restriction is caused by insufficient invasion of the extravillous trophoblast. In both cases the effect can be undernutrition and/or fetal hypoxia, both of which adversely affect organ development, especially of brain and heart. However, the mechanisms responsible for disturbances of trophoblast differentiation and function remain elusive.
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Maternal cholesterol in fetal development: transport of cholesterol from the maternal to the fetal circulation.
Woollett, LA
The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2005;(6):1155-61
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Abstract
Cholesterol is required for fetal development. Data obtained from recent studies in humans, rodents, and cell cultures showed that circulating maternal cholesterol can affect fetal metabolism and sterol accretion. Recent studies in our laboratory showed that the efflux of cholesterol from the basolateral side of the placental cells and the secretion of cholesterol from endodermal yolk sac cells to the fetal circulation can be regulated. The ability to manipulate the mass of maternal cholesterol that crosses to the fetus could result in a dramatic improvement in the development of fetuses that lack the ability to synthesize cholesterol, such as those with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. On the other hand, it could also accelerate the development of various age-related diseases, such as atherosclerosis.