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Deciphering Maternal-Fetal Crosstalk in the Human Placenta During Parturition Using Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing

Labor is a complex physiological process requiring a well-orchestrated dialogue between the mother and fetus. However, the cellular contributions and communications that facilitate maternal-fetal crosstalk in labor have not been fully elucidated. In this latest version (#5), scRNA-seq was applied to decipher maternal-fetal signaling in the human placenta and chorioamniotic membranes during term labor. Samples were obtained from women who underwent spontaneous labor (n = 24) or who were delivered in the absence of spontaneous labor (n = 18) at term. Samples from previous versions (#1-3) of this study include the placental villous tree, basal plate, and chorioamniotic membranes of women across a range of pregnancy physiologic and pathologic conditions, including the processes of labor (term labor and preterm labor), and COVID-19 (version #3). Version #4 includes samples from the human myometrium during spontaneous term labor.