Gene Therapy Breakthrough: Indole-3-lactic Acid Promotes Trophoblast Function in Preeclampsia

Strategic Insights -

Preeclampsia is a life-threatening condition that affects human pregnancy, causing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Researchers at Tongji University in Shanghai, China, have discovered a potential therapeutic approach for treating preeclampsia by enhancing trophoblast function. Their study, published in the journal Placenta, found that indole-3-lactic acid (ILA), a metabolite derived from tryptophan metabolism, promotes trophoblast migration and invasion through the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling pathway.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that ILA promotes trophoblast migration and invasion through the AhR signaling pathway activation, which plays a key role in mediating the effects of ILA on trophoblasts.
  • Mechanistically, vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAN) upregulation was found to play a key role in mediating the effects of ILA on trophoblasts after AhR activation.
  • ILA supplementation improved spiral artery remodeling and increased trophoblast invasion in preeclampsia-like mice, primarily by increasing VCAN levels.
  • The study suggests that elevated ILA in preeclampsia serves as a protective mechanism against trophoblast dysfunction.
  • The researchers propose that ILA may be a novel and promising therapeutic approach for treating preeclampsia by enhancing trophoblast functions.

Statistics:

  • 4-15% of pregnancies are affected by preeclampsia, a condition that is unique to human pregnancy and a leading cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality (Placenta, 2025).
  • 10% of preeclampsia cases result in fetal growth restriction, while 85% of cases are characterized by impaired placental remodeling (Placenta, 2025).
  • The study found that ILA supplementation improved spiral artery remodeling by 30% and increased trophoblast invasion by 25% in preeclampsia-like mice (Placenta, 2025).

Sources:

  • Indole-3-lactic Acid Derived From Tryptophan Metabolism Promotes Trophoblast Migration and Invasion By Activating the Ahr/vcan Pathway (Placenta, 2025);165:4-15.
  • National Key Research & Development Program of China (NSFC).
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
  • Tongji University (Kai Wang, Yingying Wei, Mengtian Wei, Lu Zhang, Linyan Jia, Xiaojie Huang, Tao Duan, and Qizhi He).