The Placenta in Health and Disease research team has published a comprehensive review entitled “The placental tryptophan pathway across gestation: implications for pregnancy outcomes” in Human Reproduction Update, currently ranked #1 in two categories, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, with an Impact Factor of 16.1 (Q1/D1).
This invited review represents the culmination of sustained research efforts that began in 2017, when the team initiated systematic investigations into placental tryptophan metabolism. Over the years, this work has developed into a distinct and coherent line of research examining the role of the placenta in the transport and metabolism of serotonin, melatonin, and kynurenine, and their link to fetal neurodevelopment. During this period, more than 15 experimental research papers have been published in the field, integrating human placental models, animal studies, molecular analyses, and cohort-based investigations. This scientific trajectory has also formed the basis of three completed doctoral theses, with a fourth PhD project currently ongoing, further demonstrating the depth, continuity, and academic sustainability of this field of expertise.
What initially emerged as mechanistic research into placental serotonin handling progressively expanded to address broader questions concerning the impact of pharmacotherapy during pregnancy — including antidepressants, metformin, and cannabis exposure — as well as pregnancy pathologies, particularly preterm birth. This body of work has clarified the dynamic, gestation-dependent regulation of placental tryptophan metabolism and its central role in linking the maternal environment to long-term developmental outcomes.
The newly published review provides a comprehensive and structured framework for understanding placental tryptophan metabolism across gestation and in pregnancy complications. Particular emphasis is placed on early pregnancy as a critical window during which metabolic pathway balance is established, and fetal exposure to neuroactive metabolites is determined.
Publication in Human Reproduction Update reflects both the scientific maturity of this research trajectory and the growing international recognition of the team’s contribution to placental biology and developmental programming.
Full-text link: Placental tryptophan pathway across gestation: implications for pregnancy outcomes | Human Reproduction Update | Oxford Academic
Text: Placenta in Health and Disease Research Team