New clues on how PFAS may disrupt placental function

A new study from UC San Francisco, published yesterday in Environmental Science & Technology, provides clues to how PFAS may contribute to pregnancy complications and adverse developmental outcomes. 

Forever chemicals such as PFOA and other PFAS contaminate drinking water supplies across the United States, are detected in the blood of nearly all pregnant women, and have been linked to adverse pregnancy and developmental outcomes, including hypertensive disorders and low birth weight. 

The study from Robinson Lab @ UCSF, was led by co-first authors Mengjing Wang and Hao Chen. Using primary human placental cells (cytotrophoblasts) that help the placenta grow and function during pregnancy, the team found that PFOA disrupts biological pathways involved in metabolism and immune function.

Joshua Robinson, PhD, Associate Professor in the Center for Reproductive Sciences and the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at UCSF, and the study’s senior author said:

While PFAS have been linked to adverse pregnancy and developmental outcomes, the biological mechanisms behind these associations remain unclear. By using primary human placental cells as a model, we identified molecular pathways that may help explain how PFAS affect placental function and offer new insights into the impacts of these chemicals during pregnancy.”

Title: Integrative Proteomic and In Silico Analysis of Perfluorooctanoic Acid Exposures in Primary Human Placental Cytotrophoblasts 

Authors: Mengjing Wang; Hao Chen; Mirhan Kapidzic; Matthew Gormley; Sami Tuomivaara; Amanda M. Gutierrez; Lin Li; Jessica Chen; Dimitri P. Abrahamsson; Steven Hall; Nuno M. S. Almeida; Anatoly A. Soshilov; Tracey J. Woodruff; Susan J. Fisher; Joshua F. Robinson