3D printed placenta models pave way for safer pregnancy drug testing

Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have achieved a world-first by 3D bioprinting miniature placentas, offering a novel and safer method to study early pregnancy complications. Traditional challenges in pregnancy research stem from the difficulty and risks of obtaining first-trimester placental tissue and the inadequacy of animal and cell models to replicate human placental function accurately. The UTS team combined trophoblast cells—unique to the placenta—with a synthetic gel, printing them in precise droplets to create organoids that closely mimic early human placental tissue. These bioprinted organoids developed differently from those grown in animal-derived gels, highlighting how the growth environment influences placental cell maturation. This advancement enables safer investigation into pregnancy disorders such as preeclampsia, a condition affecting 5–8% of pregnancies and linked to placental dysfunction. The researchers demonstrated the model’s utility by exposing the organoids to inflammatory molecules associated with preeclampsia and testing potential treatments,