{"id":76845,"date":"2025-10-27T09:57:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T08:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?p=76845"},"modified":"2026-02-04T12:58:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T11:58:34","slug":"a-human-placenta-model-to-protect-pregnant-women-and-their-babies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/a-human-placenta-model-to-protect-pregnant-women-and-their-babies\/","title":{"rendered":"A human placenta model to protect pregnant women and their babies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Pregnancy is a period of both excitement and concern for the healthy development of the foetus and the well-being of the expectant mother. During the ~40 weeks of gestation, many external factors constitute a danger for mothers and their babies: raw food, alcohol, and medications, among other exposures, may lead to pregnancy complications. The most crucial protector against all foetal exposures is the placenta, the temporary foetal organ that regulates the exchange of all molecules – nutrients, gases, and wastes between mother and child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers at EMBL Barcelona present Model-MI<\/a> \u2013 a human in vitro<\/em> model that mimics the maternal-foetal interface of the placenta, allowing for the study of molecule exchange and drug transport.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kristina Haase<\/a>, Group Leader at EMBL Barcelona and Principal Investigator of the project, stated: \u201cOur goal is to develop a reliable placenta model to enable drug safety testing by researchers and the pharma industry. The lack of information on drug safety leaves women having to make tough choices related to their own health. We need reliable models to test all drugs and vaccines for women.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite ~4 million annual births in the European Union<\/a>, there is a lack of knowledge regarding drug safety and development for pregnant women and foetuses. Many medications \u2013 especially those for pre-existing conditions \u2013 remain untested for this at-risk group, despite the often continued use of one or more medications during pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is an urgency for safety information on common drugs \u2013 those used for hypertension, cancer treatments, epilepsy, migraine, or common cold and flu,\u201d said Marta Cherubini, former research scientist at Haase Group, now Lead Scientist of Model-MI. \u201cAnimals are not good substitutes for safety testing on the human placenta, both for ethical and physiological reasons. A human model is desperately needed, and we aim to provide that with Model-MI.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Model-MI Bio Studio project has received up to \u20ac 3 million in funding for the next three years from the BioInnovation Institute<\/a> (BII). The grant will enable the project team to develop a robust, validated, and market-ready tool that has the potential to transform the drug industry targeting women\u2019s health. A small team is being established at BII in Copenhagen, led by Entrepreneur-in-Residence Pernille Singer, supported by Marta Cherubini as Lead Scientist and Kristina Haase as PI of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, Model-MI aims to address the drug-safety gap in pregnancy and the team at BII aims to take the project from lab bench to spin-out and make an impact for all women. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Model-MI project is part of a broader collaboration between EMBL and the BioInnovation Institute (BII), designed to accelerate the translation of fundamental research into real-world innovations. EMBLEM Technology Transfer GmbH<\/a> (EMBLEM), EMBL\u2019s wholly owned technology transfer partner and commercial arm, actively contributed to shaping the framework of this collaboration and managing EMBL\u2019s background and foreground intellectual property. This collaboration enables the Model-MI human placenta model to advance toward a validated, market-ready platform, bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and practical solutions to improve drug safety during pregnancy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Un modelo humano de placenta para proteger a las mujeres embarazadas y a sus beb\u00e9s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Investigadoras del EMBL Barcelona reciben financiaci\u00f3n de la Fundaci\u00f3n BII para desarrollar Model-MI, un modelo in vitro que reproduce la interfaz materno-fetal<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

El embarazo es un periodo de gran ilusi\u00f3n, pero tambi\u00e9n de preocupaci\u00f3n por el desarrollo saludable del feto y el bienestar de la gestante. Durante las aproximadamente 40 semanas de gestaci\u00f3n, diversos factores externos pueden representar un riesgo tanto para la madre como para el beb\u00e9: el consumo de alimentos crudos, alcohol o determinados medicamentos, entre otras exposiciones, puede derivar en complicaciones durante el embarazo. El principal protector frente a estas exposiciones es la placenta, un \u00f3rgano fetal temporal que regula el intercambio de mol\u00e9culas – nutrientes, gases y desechos – entre la madre y el feto. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigadoras del Laboratorio Europeo de Biolog\u00eda Molecular en Barcelona (EMBL por sus siglas en ingl\u00e9s) presentan Model-MI<\/a>, un modelo humano in vitro<\/em> que imita la interfaz materno-fetal de la placenta y que permite estudiar el intercambio de mol\u00e9culas y el transporte de f\u00e1rmacos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kristina Haase<\/a>, l\u00edder de grupo en EMBL Barcelona e investigadora principal del proyecto, explica: \u201cNuestro objetivo es desarrollar un modelo de placenta fiable que permita realizar pruebas de seguridad de f\u00e1rmacos tanto a investigadores como a la industria farmac\u00e9utica. La falta de informaci\u00f3n sobre la seguridad de los medicamentos obliga a las mujeres a tomar decisiones dif\u00edciles relacionadas con su propia salud. Necesitamos modelos fiables para probar todos los f\u00e1rmacos y vacunas destinados a mujeres gestantes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pesar de los cerca de cuatro millones de nacimientos anuales en la Uni\u00f3n Europea<\/a>, sigue existiendo un gran desconocimiento en torno a la seguridad y el desarrollo de medicamentos para mujeres embarazadas y fetos. Muchos tratamientos – especialmente los destinados a afecciones preexistentes – no se han probado en este grupo de riesgo, a pesar de que el uso de uno o m\u00e1s medicamentos durante el embarazo es habitual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExiste una necesidad urgente de informaci\u00f3n sobre la seguridad de f\u00e1rmacos comunes, como los utilizados para la hipertensi\u00f3n, el tratamiento del c\u00e1ncer, la epilepsia, la migra\u00f1a o los resfriados y la gripe\u201d, se\u00f1ala Marta Cherubini, antigua investigadora del grupo de Haase y ahora cient\u00edfica principal de Model-MI. \u201cLos animales no son sustitutos adecuados para las pruebas de seguridad en la placenta humana, tanto por razones \u00e9ticas como fisiol\u00f3gicas. Se necesita con urgencia un modelo humano, y eso es precisamente lo que queremos ofrecer con Model-MI.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El proyecto Model-MI Bio Studio ha recibido hasta 3 millones de euros en financiaci\u00f3n para los pr\u00f3ximos tres a\u00f1os por parte del BioInnovation Institute (BII)<\/a>. Esta subvenci\u00f3n permitir\u00e1 al equipo desarrollar una herramienta s\u00f3lida, validada y lista para el mercado, con el potencial de transformar la industria farmac\u00e9utica enfocada en la salud femenina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Con este objetivo, se ha constituido un peque\u00f1o equipo en el BII de Copenhague, dirigido por la Emprendedora en Residencia Pernille Singer, con el apoyo de Marta Cherubini como cient\u00edfica principal y Kristina Haase como investigadora principal del proyecto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En \u00faltima instancia, el objetivo de Model-MI es abordar la brecha existente en la seguridad de los medicamentos durante el embarazo, y el equipo del BII pretende llevar el proyecto del laboratorio al mercado, generando un impacto real para todas las mujeres.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EMBL researchers were awarded a BII foundation grant to support Model-MI \u2013 an in vitro model that mimics the maternal-fetal interface.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":76847,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17591],"tags":[497,303,3718,983,12736,18731,238,431,644],"embl_taxonomy":[9762,19275,19003,5154],"class_list":["post-76845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-technology","tag-barcelona","tag-emblem","tag-engineering","tag-haase","tag-organ-on-chip","tag-technology-development","tag-technology-transfer","tag-tissue-biology","tag-tissue-engineering","embl_taxonomy-embl-barcelona","embl_taxonomy-haase-group","embl_taxonomy-kristina-haase","embl_taxonomy-tissue-biology-and-disease-modelling"],"acf":{"vfwp-news_embl_taxonomy":[19003,19275,5154,9762],"featured":true,"show_featured_image":false,"field_target_display":"embl","field_article_language":{"value":"english","label":"English"},"article_intro":"

EMBL researchers were awarded a BII foundation grant to support Model-MI \u2013 an in vitro<\/em> model that mimics the maternal-fetal interface<\/p>\n","related_links":[{"link_description":"Haase Group","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/haase\/"},{"link_description":"EMBLEM Technology Transfer GmbH","link_url":"https:\/\/embl-em.de\/"}],"source_article":false,"in_this_article":false,"press_contact":"EMBL Generic","article_translations":[{"translation_language":"Espa\u00f1ol","translation_anchor":"#spanish"}],"languages":""},"embl_taxonomy_terms":[{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"b14d3f13-5670-44fb-8970-e54dfd9c921a\";i:1;s:36:\"89e00fee-87f4-482e-a801-4c3548bb6a58\";i:2;s:36:\"762176bb-d12e-4c94-8964-6dbb76e15c42\";}","parents":[],"name":["EMBL Barcelona"],"slug":"embl-barcelona","description":"Where > All EMBL sites > EMBL 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