Placental Growth Factors in Fetal Development

Placental growth factors constitute a complex network of peptide hormones and cytokines that guide vascular development, nutrient transport and endocrine adaptation essential for healthy fetal growth. Key actors include insulin-like growth factors, vascular endothelial growth factor family members and placental growth factor, which together regulate angiogenesis, trophoblast differentiation and placental morphology. These signals integrate information about maternal nutrition, oxygen availability and gestational age, modulating maternal insulin sensitivity and directing nutrient allocation to the fetus. Disruption of growth factor signalling underlies conditions such as fetal growth restriction and pre-eclampsia, with long-term consequences for offspring health. Recent work highlights epigenetic control of growth factor genes, sexually dimorphic placental responses and the interplay with mitochondrial and metabolic pathways, underscoring the dynamic role of the placenta in sensing and responding to both maternal and fetal cues.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Proteomic analyses of isolated trophoblast populations have generated comprehensive maps of the placental secretome, revealing over 200 candidate proteins with roles in metabolism, immune modulation and vascular homeostasis. Plasma profiling in pregnant mice confirmed that several secreted factors rise before clinical manifestation of gestational diabetes, pointing to early-stage biomarkers. In parallel, studies of advanced maternal age in rodent models demonstrated sex-specific placental adaptations: placentas supporting female fetuses exhibited enlarged endocrine zones and upregulated IGF2 and placental lactogen transcripts, alongside altered glucocorticoid-metabolising enzymes, whereas male placentas showed a marked decrease in IGF2 protein and increased apoptosis. These findings illustrate how maternal age reshapes the endocrine and growth factor milieu of the placenta in a sex-dependent manner.

Placental Growth Factors in Fetal Development publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in placental growth factors in fetal development across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

IGF2: Insulin-like growth factor 2, an imprinted trophoblast-derived hormone that drives placental angiogenesis and maternal metabolic adjustments.
Trophoblast: The outer cell layer of the placenta responsible for hormone secretion, nutrient uptake and maternal interface.
Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS): Mitochondrial process of ATP synthesis via electron transport chain, vital for placental energy provision.
Placental secretome: The full complement of proteins and signalling molecules released by placental cells into maternal circulation.
Angiocrine signalling: Paracrine communication from endothelial cells through growth factors that regulate vascular and trophoblast development.

References

1. Placental secretome characterization identifies candidates for pregnancy complications. Communications Biology (2021).
2. Advanced maternal age compromises fetal growth and induces sex-specific changes in placental phenotype in rats. Scientific Reports (2019).
3. Fetal manipulation of maternal metabolism is a critical function of the imprinted Igf2 gene. Cell Metabolism (2023).
4. Fetal and trophoblast PI3K p110α have distinct roles in regulating resource supply to the growing fetus in mice. eLife (2019).
5. Placental structure, function, and mitochondrial phenotype relate to fetal size in each fetal sex in mice. Biology of Reproduction (2022).