Building a 3-D model of a uterine lining to better understand implantation: Conversation with Dr. Irene Zorzan, Part I

Today we're going to talk about what I'm calling Project Implantation. It's a bold experimental model that creates a 3D version of a uterine lining as it would exist during the window of implantation--that period in the cycle when you can actually get pregnant. This model, the first of its kind, is being used to better understand the hows of early placental construction:  how that embryo talks to the cells in a model uterine lining and how these placental and uterine lining cells negotiate the terms of the implantation that follows. Given how critical a functioning placenta is to a successful pregnancy, a better understanding of this early process, this early conversation between the embryo and the uterine lining may lead to real insight into the development of serious pregnancy complications like preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and preterm birth.Modeling Human Embryo Implantation in Vitro: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)01232-2