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Trophoblast Stem Cells: Models for Investigating Trophectoderm Differentiation and Placental Development

Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, School of Medicine (G.C.D., P.K.), and California National Primate Research Center and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (C.A.V.), University of California-Davis, Davis California 95616; and Departments of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine and Public Health (T.G.G.), and the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (T.-C.C., T.G.G.), University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison Wisconsin 53715

Correspondence: Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Thaddeus G. Golos, Ph.D., Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, 1223 Capitol Court, Madison, Wisconsin 53715-1299. E-mail: golos{at}primate.wisc.edu

The placenta is an ephemeral organ containing diverse populations of trophoblasts that are all derived from the embryonic trophectoderm but have morphological, functional, and molecular diversity within and across species. In hemochorial placentation, these cells play especially important roles, interfacing with and modifying the cells of the maternal decidua. Within the rapidly growing placenta, it has been shown that there are trophoblast stem cells well characterized in the mouse and postulated but not well understood in primates. This review will discuss the characteristics of candidates for human and nonhuman primate trophoblast stem cells, present the diverse methods of their generation, and propose future prospects for experimental systems in which they can shed light on developmental and pathophysiological processes in human pregnancy.