A spatially resolved timeline of the human maternal–fetal interface

Shirley Greenbaum, Inna Averbukh, Erin Soon, Gabrielle Rizzuto, Alex Baranski, Noah F. Greenwald, Adam Kagel, Marc Bosse, Eleni G. Jaswa, Zumana Khair, Shirley Kwok, Shiri Warshawsky, Hadeesha Piyadasa, Mako Goldston, Angie Spence, Geneva Miller, Morgan Schwartz, Will Graf, David Van Valen, Virginia D. WinnTravis Hollmann, Leeat Keren, Matt van de Rijn, Michael Angelo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Beginning in the first trimester, fetally derived extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) invade the uterus and remodel its spiral arteries, transforming them into large, dilated blood vessels. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain how EVTs coordinate with the maternal decidua to promote a tissue microenvironment conducive to spiral artery remodelling (SAR)1–3. However, it remains a matter of debate regarding which immune and stromal cells participate in these interactions and how this evolves with respect to gestational age. Here we used a multiomics approach, combining the strengths of spatial proteomics and transcriptomics, to construct a spatiotemporal atlas of the human maternal–fetal interface in the first half of pregnancy. We used multiplexed ion beam imaging by time-of-flight and a 37-plex antibody panel to analyse around 500,000 cells and 588 arteries within intact decidua from 66 individuals between 6 and 20 weeks of gestation, integrating this dataset with co-registered transcriptomics profiles. Gestational age substantially influenced the frequency of maternal immune and stromal cells, with tolerogenic subsets expressing CD206, CD163, TIM-3, galectin-9 and IDO-1 becoming increasingly enriched and colocalized at later time points. By contrast, SAR progression preferentially correlated with EVT invasion and was transcriptionally defined by 78 gene ontology pathways exhibiting distinct monotonic and biphasic trends. Last, we developed an integrated model of SAR whereby invasion is accompanied by the upregulation of pro-angiogenic, immunoregulatory EVT programmes that promote interactions with the vascular endothelium while avoiding the activation of maternal immune cells.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)595-605
Number of pages11
JournalNature
Volume619
Issue number7970
DOIs
StatePublished - 20 Jul 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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